Biomechanics of esophageal elongation with traction sutures on experimental animal model.

Esophageal elongation is one of the methods of long gap esophageal atresia treatment. The aim of the study was to determine the best type of traction suture for esophageal lengthening on an animal model. White Pekin Duck's esophagi were used as a model (fresh-frozen and thawed). The esophagus was cut in half, then both ends were sutured together and extended on a tensiometer. Tested sutures involved simple suture, suture aided by a single or double clip, and suture aided by pledget (10 samples each). Constant and 2 methods of intermittent traction were also compared. The histological study showed similarities between duck's and newborn's esophagus. The highest maximal force was achieved with pledget suture (F = 8.59 N ± 1.45 N), then with double clip (F = 5.74 N ± 1.29 N) and the lowest with single suture (F = 3.80 N ± 0.54 N) (p < 0.001). Pledget suture also allowed for the greatest elongation (p < 0.01). Intermittent traction results in better elongation at the same breaking strength as constant traction (p < 0.05) if traction is maintained during breaks. Reinforced sutures (pledget or double clip) should be taken into consideration in internal traction. When performing traction sutures, it is worth step by step carefully tightening the sliding knot in short periods before its final binding.

The layer-specific biomechanical properties of dissecting ascending aortic aneurysm (Stanford type A of dissection).

PURPOSE: The aims of this paper was the analysis of the mechanical properties of dissected wall of the ascending aortic aneurysm (n = 12). METHODS: All aortas were collected from men (mean age: 48 ± 12 years, mean diameter of the aneurysm: 49 mm ± 4 mm). The mechanical properties were determined based on directional tensile test. The biomechanical assay was complemented by conducting histological analysis (hematoxylin and eosin, Mallory's trichrome, Azan stain). RESULTS: The highest values (median) of failure Cauchy stress, failure force, Young's modulus and stiffness coefficient were obtained for the adventitia (σmax = 1.40 MPa, Fmax = 4.05 N, E = 26.11 MPa, k = 1.06 N/mm). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the mechanical function of the adventitia in healthy tissue and dissected ascending aorta aneurysm is the same, i.e., it protects the vessel against destruction. The failure Cauchy stresses found in the media and intima are comparable and amounted to 0.23 and 0.21 MPa, respectively. The results indicate that dissection affects the mechanical properties of ascending aorta wall layers. The mechanical loads are probably transferred within the dissected aneurysmal wall not only through the media, but also through the intima.

The assessment of temperature amplitude arising during the implant bed formation in relation to variable preparation parameters - in vitro study.

The main purpose of this study was to analyse the temperatures generated during the bone bed preparation, given the internal structure of the bone bed, the geometry of the hole, and the treatment parameters such as the type of cooling and the rotational speed of the drill. The investigated material was domestic pig ribs, in which holes were drilled three times using two drill bit systems used for Hiossen® and Paltop® dental implantation. The ThermaCAM® P640 thermal imaging camera was used for measurement of drilling temperatures. After the holes were drilled, each rib was examined using the 1172 SkyScan microtomograph, Bruker®, to compare the geometry of the machined holes. The presented study proved that larger diameter drill bits (Hiossen® drill bits) generate more heat during the machining process, as evidenced by higher temperatures obtained for the Hiossen system in each case. It was proved that rotational speed, drill bit diameter and cooling system have a significant effect on the amount of heat generated during bone tissue preparation. The density and type of bone tissue in which the hole is prepared are significant factors affecting the amount of heat generated.

Mechanical and structural properties of different types of human aortic atherosclerotic plaques.

Atherosclerotic plaques are characterized by structural heterogeneity affecting aortic behaviour under mechanical loading. There is evidence of direct connections between the structural plaque arrangement and the risk of plaque rupture. As a consequence of aortic plaque rupture, plaque components are transferred by the bloodstream to smaller vessels, resulting in acute cardiovascular events with a poor prognosis, such as heart attacks or strokes. Hence, evaluation of the composition, structure, and biochemical profile of atherosclerotic plaques seems to be of great importance to assess the properties of a mechanically induced failure, indicating the strength and rupture vulnerability of plaque. The main goal of the research was to determine experimentally under uniaxial loading the mechanical properties of different types of the human abdominal aorta and human aortic atherosclerotic plaques identified based on vibrational spectra (ATR-FTIR and FT-Raman spectroscopy) analysis and validated by histological staining. The potential of spectroscopic techniques as a useful histopathological tool was demonstrated. Three types of atherosclerotic plaques - predominantly calcified (APC), lipid (APL), and fibrotic (APF) - were distinguished and confirmed by histopathological examinations. Compared to the normal aorta, fibrotic plaques were stiffer (median of EH for circumferential and axial directions, respectively: 8.15 MPa and 6.56 MPa) and stronger (median of σM for APLc = 1.57 MPa and APLa = 1.64 MPa), lipidic plaques were the weakest (median of σM for APLc = 0.76 MPa and APLa = 0.51 MPa), and calcified plaques were the stiffest (median of EH for circumferential and axial directions, respectively: 13.23 MPa and 6.67 MPa). Therefore, plaques detected as predominantly lipid and calcified are most prone to rupture; however, the failure process reflected by the simplification of the stress-stretch characteristics seems to vary depending on the plaque composition.

Effect of dissection on the mechanical properties of human ascending aorta and human ascending aorta aneurysm.

PURPOSE: The aim of the presented work is to determine (i) mechanical properties of the ascending aorta wall (DAA) and the wall of the ascending aortic aneurysm (DAAA), in which spontaneous dissection resulting from the evolving disease occurred, and (ii) the strength of the interface between the layers in the above-mentioned vessels. METHODS: The mechanical tests were divided into two steps. In the first step the mechanical properties of the of DAA and DAAA walls were examined on the basis of uniaxial stretching until rapture. In the next step the mechanical parameters of the interface between layers of DAA and DAAA walls were determined by the peeling test. RESULTS: Higher values of tensile strength (  max) and Young's modulus (E) were obtained for the DAAA group, to which the dissecting wall of the ascending aortic aneurysm was classified. For circumferential samples, the difference between the DAAA and DAA groups was 39% in the case of tensile strength and 70% in the case of the Young's modulus. CONCLUSIONS: Summarizing, the studies performed showed that the dissection process is different in the case of the ascending aortic aneurysm wall and the ascending aorta wall. The wall of the ascending aortic aneurysm is more susceptible to dissection, as evidenced by lower values of the mechanical parameters of the interface between the intima and the media-adventitia complex. The obtained results of mechanical properties tests confirm that dissection and aneurysm should be treated as separate disease entities that may coexist with each other.

The impact of development of atherosclerosis on delamination resistance of the thoracic aortic wall.

The aim of this work is to determine the impact of development of atherosclerosis on dissection of the human thoracic aorta on the basis of an analysis of the mechanical properties of the interfaces between its layers. The research material consisted of 17 pathologically unchanged aortae and 74 blood vessels with atherosclerotic lesions, which were classified according to the histological classification by Stary. The subject of the analysis were the interfaces between the adventitia and the media-intima complex (A-MIC) and between the intima and the media-adventitia complex (I-MAC). The mechanical properties of the above interfaces were determined by the peeling test in the longitudinal and circumferential directions. The results indicate that development of atherosclerosis reduces vessel wall resistance to delamination. The greatest risk of dissection occurs at stage IV of the disease. In this case, energy values are lower by about 28% for the I-MAC interface and by 39% for the A-MIC interface compared with normal tissues. Lower values of mean force and energy were obtained for the I-MAC interface, indicating that this interface is more susceptible to delamination. The mechanical properties of the A-MIC interfaces are directional.

In-vivo corneal pulsation in relation to in-vivo intraocular pressure and corneal biomechanics assessed in-vitro. An animal pilot study.

The aim was to ascertain whether the characteristics of the corneal pulse (CP) measured in-vivo in a rabbit eye change after short-term artificial increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) and whether they correlate with corneal biomechanics assessed in-vitro. Eight New Zealand white rabbits were included in this study and were anesthetized. In-vivo experiments included simultaneous measurements of the CP signal, registered with a non-contact method, IOP, intra-arterial blood pressure, and blood pulse (BPL), at the baseline and short-term elevated IOP. Afterwards, thickness of post-mortem corneas was determined and then uniaxial tensile tests were conducted leading to estimates of their Young's modulus (E). At the baseline IOP, backward stepwise regression analyses were performed in which successively the ocular biomechanical, biometric and cardiovascular predictors were separately taken into account. Results of the analysis revealed that the 3rd CP harmonic can be statistically significantly predicted by E and central corneal thickness (Models: R2 = 0.662, p < 0.005 and R2 = 0.832, p < 0.001 for the signal amplitude and power, respectively). The 1st CP harmonic can be statistically significantly predicted by the amplitude and power of the 1st BPL harmonic (Models: R2 = 0.534, p = 0.015 and R2 = 0.509, p < 0.018, respectively). For elevated IOP, non-parametric analysis indicated significant differences for the power of the 1st CP harmonic (Kruskal-Wallis test; p = 0.031) and for the mean, systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p = 0.025, p = 0.019, p = 0.033, respectively). In conclusion, for the first time, the association between parameters of the CP signal in-vivo and corneal biomechanics in-vitro was confirmed. In particular, spectral analysis revealed that higher amplitude and power of the 3rd CP harmonic indicates higher corneal stiffness, while the 1st CP harmonic correlates positively with the corresponding harmonic of the BPL signal.