Aligned and molecularly oriented semihollow ultrafine polymer fiber yarns by a facile method

In this work, aligned and molecularly oriented bone‐like PLLA semihollow fiber yarns were manufactured continuously from an optimized homogeneous polymer‐solvent‐nonsolvent system [PLLA, CH₂Cl₂, and dimethyl formamide (DMF)] by a single capillary electrospinning via self‐bundling technique. Here, it should be emphasized that the self‐bundling electrospinning technique, a very facile electrospinning technique with a grounded needle (which is to induce the self‐bundling of polymer nanofibers at the beginning of electrospinning process), is used for the alignment and molecular orientation of the polymer fiber, and the take‐up speed of the rotating drum for the electrospun fiber yarn collection is very low (0.5 m/s). PLLA can be dissolved in DMF and CH₂Cl₂ mixed solvent with different ratios. By varying the ratios of mixed solvent system, PLLA electrospun semihollow fiber with the porous inner structure and compact shell wall could be formed, the thickness of the shell and the size of inner pores could be adjusted. The results of polarized FTIR and wide angle X‐ray diffraction investigations verified that as‐prepared PLLA semihollow fiber yarns were well‐aligned and molecularly oriented. Both the formation mechanism of semihollow fibers with core‐shell structure and the orientation mechanism of polymer chains within the polymer fibers were all discussed. The as‐prepared self‐bundling electrospun PLLA fiber yarns possessed enhanced mechanical performance compared with the corresponding conventional electrospun PLLA fibrous nonwoven membranes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1118–1125, 2010     

Drained and Undrained Poroelastic Properties of Healthy and Pathological Bone: A Poro-Micromechanical Investigation

Poro-micromechanics allows for the quantification of poroelastic properties such as the Biot and Skempton coefficients, once a continuum micromechanics model for the material under consideration has been developed and validated. Employing such a model for the transversely isotropic elasticity of cortical and trabecular bone, we determine the tensors of Biot and Skempton coefficients as functions of the volume fractions of mineral, collagen, and the micropore space (Haversian and Volkmann canals, and the inter-trabecular space). Increase of microporosity, as experienced in osteoporosis, as well as decrease of mineral content, as experienced in osteomalacia, lead to an increase of Biot and Skempton coefficients, i. e. to magnification of the mechanical role of the marrow filling the micropore space. For quantification of the marrow pressure rise upon downfall, undrained conditions are appropriate, as can be shown by model predictions of non-destructive impact experiments.     

松质骨弹性模量计算的均匀化方法

对松质骨建立了六种单胞微观结构模型，采用均匀化方法和有限元方法计算松质骨的宏观等效弹性模量。给出了六种单胞模型的松质骨弹性模量与材料密度(体分比）的关系，与实验数据进行了对比，分析了不同微观结构模型在不同骨骼中的应用。结果表明，本文方法及六种单胞模型可以对松质骨微观结构和材料性能进行有效的模拟计算。同时本文又着重对松质骨的宏观等效弹性模量与体分比的指数关系进行了探讨。     

多胞材料的力学行为

多胞材料具有独特的力学性质,其工程应用日益增加.人造多胞材料可以分为蜂窝材料和泡沫材料两类.本文介绍了这两类材料在不同载荷条件下力学行为的研究概况.对于某些天然材料(木材和松质骨)的多胞结构及其模型也作了简要介绍.     

The use of poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) as a scaffold for adipose stem cells in bone tissue engineering: application in a spinal fusion model

Since the early 1990s, tissue engineering has been heralded as a strategy that may solve problems associated with bone grafting procedures. The original concept of growing bone in the laboratory, however, has proven illusive due to biological, logistic, and regulatory problems. Fat-derived stem cells and synthetic polymers open new, more practicable routes for bone tissue engineering. In this paper, we highlight the potential of poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) to serve as a radiolucent scaffold in bone tissue engineering. It appears that PLCL quickly and preferentially binds adipose stem cells (ASCs), which proliferate rapidly and eventually differentiate into the osteogenic phenotype. An in vivo spinal fusion study in a goat model provides a preclinical proof-of-concept for a one-step surgical procedure with ASCs in bone tissue engineering.     

Association of Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphisms with osteoporotic fracture risk in postmenopausal Korean women

There is increasing evidence of a biochemical link between lipid oxidation and bone metabolism. Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) prevents the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and metabolizes biologically active phospholipids in oxidized LDLs. Here, we performed association analyses of genetic variation in PON1 to ascertain its contribution to osteoporotic fractures (OFs) and bone mineral density (BMD). We directly sequenced the PON1 gene in 24 Korean individuals and identified 26 sequence variants. A large population of Korean postmenopausal women (n=1,329) was then genotyped for eight selected PON1 polymorphisms. BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Lateral thoracolumbar (T4-L4) radiographs were obtained for vertebral fracture assessment, and the occurrence of non-vertebral fractures (i.e., wrist, hip, forearm, humerus, rib, and pelvis) was examined using self-reported data. Multivariate analyses showed that none of the polymorphisms was associated with BMD at either site. However, +5989A>G and +26080T>C polymorphisms were significantly associated with non-vertebral and vertebral fractures, respectively, after adjustment for covariates. Specifically, the minor allele of +5989A>G exerted a highly protective effect against non-vertebral fractures (OR=0.59, P=0.036), whereas the minor allele of +26080T>C was associated with increased susceptibility to vertebral fractures (OR=1.73, P=0.020). When the risk for any OFs (i.e., vertebral or non-vertebral) was considered, the statistical significance of both polymorphisms persisted (P=0.002-0.010). These results suggest that PON1 polymorphisms could be one of useful genetic markers for OF risk in postmenopausal women.     

Molecular Control of Bioactivity in Sol-Gel Glasses

Bioactive materials can be divided into: Class A bioactive glasses which exhibit rapid bonding to bone and soft connective tissue and are osteoproductive, and osteoconductive; and Class B bioactive ceramics, which bond slowly only to bone and are only osteoconductive. Bioactive sol-gel glasses composed of SiO2-CaO-P2O5 have Class A behavior in vitro and in vivo and also resorb as they enhance the proliferation of new trabecular bone.