ABSTRACT
Objective To discuss the possibility for regeneration of knee joint with normal function under bionics biomechanical environment. Methods Seven normal rabbits with two metal frames respectively mounted on their femur and tibia of single (right) side leg by two threading pins of 1.5 mm diameter were used. Then the external artificial joints, containing two four-bar-linkage inside and outside of the knee to simulate motion trajectory of the joint in sagital plane were connected with the two preset fixed frames before osteotomy. The arthro-cartilage of the knee joint, crucial ligaments, semi-lunar fibro-cartilages, and partial under-cartilage-osseous intra articular capsule were cut off during osteotomy, with the patella, sesamoid bones remained intact. Insertion sites of muscle tendons were not invaded as far as possible, and capsules with ligaments outside were kept complete when the incision wound was closed by suture. The rabbits could move freely after osteotomy. The range of motion (ROM) of the knees in sagital plane and bony gap between the femur and tibia were measured by X-Ray films during the fracture healing after osteotomy. Results External artificial knee joints were successfully installed on right legs of 6 rabbits among the seven. The rabbits moved freely after osteotomy under the control of minimal invasive external artificial joint in bionics trajectory. The average angles between femoral shaft and tibial shaft at the 1st week after osteotomy were from (144.7±15.62)° in extremely flexed position to (44.2±25.77)° in extremely extended position, with ROM of (100.5±29.03)°. At the 12th week, the average angles were from (139.4 ± 12.92)° in extremely flexed position to (40.4±22.04)° in extremely extended position, with ROM of (99.0±23.39)°. No significant differences were displayed in flexed/extended position and ROM between the 1st and 12th week, with the bony gaps of the knees still existed but decreased significantly from (4.03±1.84) mm at the 1st week to (2.32±1.05) mm at the 12th week. In contrast, bony gaps of the opposite knees were not changed significantly, which were (1.27±0.22) mm on average. At the end of 16th week after osteotomy, the external artificial joints were removed. Newly born cartilage, with white color and smooth surface, were covered at lower end of the femur and upper end of the tibia. Typical trochlear surface appeared at the front side of regenerated cartilage corresponding to the posterior surface of the patella. And the regenerated fibro-bundle linkage similar with ligament, which started from bony structure of regenerated lower end of the femur and inserted into regenerated upper end of the tibia, was observed in each rabbit. At the 25th week, the average angles between femoral shaft and tibial shaft were from (148.3 ± 4.75)° in extremely flexed position to (48.30±17.57)° in extremely extended position, with ROM of (100.0±20.80)°. In the opposite (left) leg, the average angles between femoral shaft and tibial shaft were from (148.3±7.5)° in extremely flexed position to (21.6±9.09)° in extremely extended position, with ROM of (126.7±6.88)°, and the average bony gap of the knees after osteotomy was (1.4±0.59) mm, while that of the opposite (left) knees was (0.92±0.35) mm. Conclusions The external artificial joint with bionics trajectory could reserve the space for regeneration of rabbit knee joint by providing motion modeling environment, and proved the stress adaption during fracture healing. The present results indicated that regeneration of the knee joint after intra-capsular osteotomy in bionics biomechanical environment was possible.
ABSTRACT
Objective An effective but simple method for quantifying the fracture healing progress was provided to obtain more information on fracture healing mechanics from plain X-ray film. Method Twelve rabbits were used for experimentally osteotomy at the middle tibiae, each of which was fixed by the sliding fixator with four pins of 1.5 mm diameter, with mini transducer of displacement measuring the sliding micro movement between the fractured bone fragments, denoted as ΔL. The bending rigidity, denoted as K=P/ ΔL, of the rabbits’ tibia (with sliding fixator together) were recorded by computer data assembling system once a week, where P was the load on the fracture site from anterior of the tibia by manual operation of a loading transducer. The anterior posterior and lateral radiographs were also taken every week by digitally upgraded X-ray radioscope. The effective weakest transverse curved interfaces were found, and the equivalent bending moments of inertia were calculated from the radiographs automatically, by gray scan along the longitudinal axis of the tibia upon the image programs edited in Delphi programming environment. And they were used for quantitative description of the rigidity of the healing bone. Results The sliding fixators were removed in 29~41 days after the osteotomy. Ratios of the minimum to the maximum of equivalent bending moments of inertia for each fracture bone were calculated. And they were found to increase via the healing time. The means of the ratios of all twelve rabbits calculated from lateral radiographs were (0.31±0.17) for the first week, (0.34±0.13) for the second week，(0.43±0.20) for the third week, and (0.56±0.23) for the fourth week after the osteotomy, respectively. From anterior posterior radiographs, the means of the ratios were (0.40±0.19), (0.47±0.16)， (0.56±0.20), and (0.66±0.11), respectively. These ratios were significantly correlated with the bending rigidity K of the fracture tibia of the rabbits. The means of K value was （3.976±4.986）N•μm-1 before the operation，and （0.679±1.026）N•μm-1 for the first week，（2.115±3.233）N•μm-1 for the second week，（3.459±4.723）N•μm-1 for the third week and （4.788±4.831）N•μm-1 for the fourth week after the operation, respectively. Conclusions The growth of external callus has its own rules. It can be distinguished from plain radiographs easily, and it grows from either side of the fracture site and meets together gradually, filling up the gap at the fracture site at last. The methods described in this paper could reflect the feeling when reading the radiographs.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanical property of intact long bone through three-point bending test of rabbit tibia according to mechanics of materials.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten pairs of normal rabbits tibia were treated on three-point bending test with 80 mm supporting distance in order to corroborate the virtual loading test on bone model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Bending stiffness and strength of 10 pairs of normal rabbit tibia were obtained. The maximum flexibility of the right and the left tibia was (2.737 +/- 0.262) mm and (2.739 +/- 0.233) mm respectively. The maximum load, which indicated the bending strength, of the right and the left tibia was (17.803 +/- 2.675) kg and (18.366 +/- 2.653) kg respectively. The area under the load-flexibility curve before fail of the right and the left tibia was (23.829 +/- 4.413) kg/mm and (24.725 +/- 4.101) kg x mm respectively. The slope of the load-flexibility curve which indicate the stiffness of the right and the left tibia was (7.545 +/- 1.310) kg/mm and (7.631 +/- 1.174) kg x mm respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The discrepancy between different animal body is larger than conventionally required. It's suggested for performing three-point bending test of long bone of the body both sides in pair.</p>