BACKGROUND:Microbeads for bone repair have been widely studied because they can be conveniently used in clinical applications. OBJECTIVE:This study concerns the preparation, physical properties and in vitro characterisation of different types of alginate/calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramic microbeads,which were designed for use as drug delivery systems and bone-regeneration matrices. METHODS:Hybrid microbeads

BACKGROUND:To overcome the unfavorable issues associated with conventional anti-adhesive HA/CMC film, we developed an anti-adhesive thermally cross-linked gelatin film. OBJECTIVE:We tried to clarify the re-attachability of the film and the required properties concerning the film thickness, stiffness and anti-adhesion effect. METHODS:To determine the optimal thickness, 5 kinds of the thickness of gelatin

BACKGROUND:The braided stent is a widely accepted endovascular treatment device consisting of woven metal wires. One of the unsolved issues for the braided stent is the stent flattening phenomena when deployed into highly curved arteries. Although a recent computational study highlighted that the mechanical state of the stent inside the catheter before the deployment plays an essential role in causing

BACKGROUND:The use of helmets was considered to be one of the important prevention strategies employed on construction sites. The shock absorption performance of a construction (or industrial) helmet is its most important performance parameter. Industrial helmets will experience cumulative structural damage when being impacted repeatedly with impact magnitudes greater than its endurance limit. OBJECTIVE:The

BACKGROUND:Lip closing functions have never been evaluated from the viewpoint of elastic properties. OBJECTIVES:The purpose of the present study was to investigate the behavior of the lower orbicularis oris muscle during a button-pull exercise to measure lip closing force and quantitatively evaluate its elastic properties using sonographic elastography. METHODS:Appropriate compression loads for elastography

BACKGROUND:The effectiveness of bone repair is determined by the balance of proliferative and destructive factors in the fracture union site. It can be enhanced by using various nanostructured materials possessing osteoinductive properties, in particular titanium implants with biodegradable calciumphosphate coatings. The effects of these coatings on the state of stem cells, their differentiation and

BACKGROUND:The left coronary artery commonly known as LCA gets divided into two branches, such as the left circumflex (LCX) and left anterior descending (LAD) at a particular angle. This angle is varies from person to person. The present computational study contributes remarkable expertise about the influence of this angle variation on the hemodynamic parameters in the presence of 80% area stenosis

BACKGROUND:Merging stem cells with biomimetic materials represent an attractive approach to tissue engineering. The development of an alternative scaffold with the ability to mimic the extracellular matrix, and the 3D gradient preventing any alteration in cell metabolism or in their gene expressionpatterns, would have many medical applications. OBJECTIVE:In this study, we introduced the use of RGD

BACKGROUND:Gait analysis, such as portable gait rhythmogram (PGR), provides objective information that helps in the quantitative evaluation of human locomotion. OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of PGR in post-stroke patients. METHODS:Two raters (A and B) examined 48post-stroke patients. To assess intra-rater reliability, rater A tested subjects on three separate occasions

BACKGROUND:The stability of the implant-abutment interface is an important factor that influences load distribution on the marginal bone. OBJECTIVE:In this study, three dental implants with the same connection were subjected to different dynamic loading cycles. The fracture strengths and the horizontal compatibility of implants were assessed. METHODS:Eighty four implant specimens were embedded in a

BACKGROUND:Removal of radioactive substances, such as cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr), has become an emerging issue after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster. It has been reported that hydroxyapatite (HA) and aluminosilicate composite powders can be used to remove Cs and Sr. However,the film type of these materials for the removal of Cs and Sr has not been reported. OBJECTIVE:The aim

BACKGROUND:Drilling is a well-known mechanical operation performed for fixing fracture at required locations in bone. The process may produce mechanical and thermal alterations in the structure of the bone and surrounding tissues leading to irreversible damage known as osteonecrosis. OBJECTIVE:Themain purpose of this study was to measure the level of biological damage in bone when a drill assisted

BACKGROUND:Surface replication is a nondestructive evaluation technique applied in examining surface wear by recording surface irregularities, especially in conditions when surfaces of interest cannot be further manipulated to fit directly under a microscope to be examined. Enamel is the outermostprotective layer of the human teeth and is constantly stressed by mastication forces which results in enamel

BACKGROUND:Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are one of the main components of arterial walls and actively remodel the arterial walls in which they reside through biomechanical signals applied to themselves. Contractile or differentiated VSMCs have been observed in normal blood vessels. In pathological vascular conditions, they become dedifferentiated from contractile to non-contractile or synthetic

BACKGROUND:Thrombus formation and hemolysis are important factors in developing blood pumps and mechanical heart valve prostheses. These phenomena are induced by flow properties. High shear stress induces platelet and red cell damage. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis calculates shear stress of fluid and particle pathlines of blood cells. OBJECTIVE:We studied blood cell damage in a blood

BACKGROUND:Pulmonary micronodules account for 80% of all lung nodules. Generally, pulmonary micronodules in the early stages can be detected on thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving the patient’s survival rate. OBJECTIVE:This paper aims to estimate the malignancy risk of pulmonary micronodules and potentially improve the survival rate. METHODS:We extract

BACKGROUND:Laminectomy may cause kyphotic postoperative deformity in the cervical region leading to segmental instability over time. Laminoplasty may be an alternative procedure to laminectomy, as it protects the spine against post-laminectomy kyphosis; however, similar to laminectomy, laminoplastymay cause sagittal plane deformities by destructing or weakening the dorsal tension band. OBJECTIVE:Using

BACKGROUND:To ensure quality and stability, monitoring systems are recommended to analyze pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. OBJECTIVE:This study was performed to predict powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns of formulation powders through attenuated total reflectance (ATR)-infrared (IR) spectroscopy in a nondestructive manner along with chemometrics. RESULTS:Caffeine anhydrate, acetaminophen

BACKGROUND:The design and fabrication of hemocompatible and low-toxicity formulations remains a challenging task. Hydrogels are of considerable importance for biomedical applications since they are highly compatible with living tissue, both in vivo and in vitro. OBJECTIVE:The present study aimed todevelop and evaluate the characterizations and in vitro hemocompatibility of a hydrogel using polyvinyl

BACKGROUND:Adipose tissue engineering has been studied as an alternative to current options for breast reconstruction, such as lipofilling, flap reconstruction, and silicone implants. Previously, we demonstrated that a poly(L-lactic acid) mesh containing a collagen sponge, containing neither cellsnor growth factors, could be filled with the regenerated adipose tissues when implanted in rodent models

BACKGROUND:Interfaces of transtibial prosthesis have an important role in the transmission of ground reaction forces, damping gait loads and tissue protection. OBJECTIVE:This work aims to study the influence of prosthesis interfaces on amputees’ gait and perception on pain, comfort and the overallinterface/prosthesis system. METHODS:Commercial samples of three different interface materials were selected:

BACKGROUND:It is well known that there is a relationship between bone strength and the forces that are daily applied to the bone. However, bone is a highly heterogeneous material and it is still not clear how mechanical variables regulate the distribution of bone mass in a femur. METHODS:We studiedthe role of four mechanical variables, i.e. principal tensile/compressive stress, von Mises stress, and

Objective:The main goal of this study was to examine the influence of hydroxyapatite (HAp) macroaggreate concentrations on thermal and mechanical properties of radioactive bone cement and to study the relation of glass transition Tg with its mechanical properties. Methods:The bone cement as (1-x)PMMA-xHAp binary system was prepared in six [x] distinct concentration parameters of 0.0 up to 0.5. The

BACKGROUND:Snoring source analysis is essential for an appropriate surgical decision for both simple snorers and obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients. OBJECTIVE:As snoring sounds carry significant information about tissue vibrations within the upper airway, a new feature entitled compressed histogram of oriented gradients (CHOG) is proposed to recognize vibration patterns of the

BACKGROUND:A neurological disorder is one of the significant problems of the nervous system that affects the essential functions of the human brain and spinal cord. Monitoring brain activity through electroencephalography (EEG) has become an important tool in the diagnosis of brain disorders. The robust automatic classification of EEG signals is an important step towards detecting a brain disorder

BACKGROUND:Scallop shell powder is called bioshell calcium oxide (BiSCaO), which is known to possess deodorizing properties and broad antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes, including viruses, bacteria, spores, and fungi. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to investigate the applicationsof BiSCaO suspension cleansing in clinical situations, for instance for the prevention and treatment of

BACKGROUND:Accelerated hydrothermal aging has long been one of the most widely accepted quality control tests for simulating low-temperature degradation (LTD) in zirconia-containing implants used in total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, it is still unclear how much consistency there is between theexperimental prediction from the internationally-standardized tests and the actual measurements from surgically-removed

BACKGROUND:Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is one of the standard methods to analyze ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in orthopedic implants. For retrieved components, lipid extraction using an organic solvent prior to the measurement is necessary to eliminate the influence of lipids absorbed in vivo. However, its influence on the measurement has not been substantially

BACKGROUND:There are no studies on the scoliotic population in which lateral abdominal muscle (LAM) was measured. OBJECTIVE:The aim of the study was to deliver the first results on LAM elasticity assessed by shear wave elastography (SWE) in right-side and left-side thoracolumbar scoliosis patients.METHOD:Twelve patients (mean age 12.25) with thoracolumbar scoliosis were included in the study. Muscle

BACKGROUND Our previous study found that spray-dried glutinous rice starch (sGRS) is larger in size, rounder in shape and better in flowability than native GRS. It has the potential to be used for direct compression hydrophilic matrix (HM) tablets. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the factors that affect the propranolol release from directly compressed sGRS HM tablets. METHODS The effects

BACKGROUND Previously we found that a group of phosphorylated proteins (SIBLINGs) in bone binds with the Ti-device, and increases the early bone formation around the Ti-implants remarkably. From these results, we explained the biochemical mechanism of a strong bond between living bone and Ti, which was discovered by Brånemark and colleagues. For the clinical application of our findings, we need a large

BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived hepatocytes are an attractive alternative cell source to primary human hepatocytes for tissue regeneration. OBJECTIVES This study presents an application of lactose-silk fibroin conjugates (Lac-CY-SF) bearing 𝛽-galactose residues as a substrate for culture of hiPSC-derived hepatocytes. A comparison of hiPSC-derived hepatocytes cultured

BACKGROUND A burn wound is one of the most frequent and devastating injuries for patients which requires extensive care. Early treatment of burn wounds improves healing significantly. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of amnion and collagen-based hydrogels on cutaneous burn wound healing in rats with covering membrane. METHODS We prepared a novel cell free hydrogel comprising

BACKGROUND In some treatments using multiple dental implants, the implants are inserted in the bone with splinted or non-splinted implant prostheses. There are some reports about the influence of the splinted and non-splinted implants on stress distribution in the bone using the finite element method (FEM), and there is a controversy in the literature regarding whether the splinted or non-splinted

BACKGROUND Surface nanostructures in titanium (Ti) oral implants are critical for rapid osseointegration. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the growth of osteoblast-like (Saos-2) and epithelial-like (Ca9-22) cells on nanopatterned Ti films. METHODS Ti films with 500 nm grooves and pillars were fabricated by nanoimprinting, and seeded with Saos-2 and Ca9-22 cells. Cell viability and

A numerical investigation of Newtonian/non-Newtonian unsteady pulsatile entry blood flow inside a 3D curved stenosed artery is presented. For considering the non-Newtonian effect (shear thinning or shear thickening behavior), the blood viscosity is characterized by the power-law model (Ostwald de Waele Equation). At the inlet of the artery, a realistic pulsatile waveform is utilized according to the

BACKGROUND Real-time monitoring is required for the pharmaceutical manufacturing process to produce high-quality pharmaceutical products. OBJECTIVE Changes in the critical tableting process parameters of single-punch tableting machine due to variability in the moisture content of the raw powders were monitored by hybrid tableting pressure-time profiles. METHODS After mixing of the raw powders, which

BACKGROUND We have developed a technology to electrically polarize living bone. OBJECTIVE The effects of stored electrical charge in electrical polarized bone on the facilitation of new bone formation were assayed. METHODS Stimulated depolarized current measurement was performed in electrically polarized and nonpolarized femora of SD rats. These bone specimens were implanted into bone defects of the

BACKGROUND Animal learning based on brain stimulation is an application in a brain-computer interface. Especially for birds, such a stimulation system should be sufficiently light without interfering with movements of wings. OBJECTIVE We proposed a fully-implantable system for wirelessly navigating a pigeon. In this paper, we report a handheld neural stimulation controller for this avian navigation

BACKGROUND Many novel biomaterials have been incorporated in toothpastes to promote remineralization of tooth structure. OBJECTIVES This study was carried out to compare the discrepancies between declared and actual total fluoride (TF) or total soluble fluoride (TSF) concentration of two modern toothpastes containing bioactive glasses; these were also assessed for their remineralization potential.

The utilization of Asymmetric stent for recovering atherosclerotic diseases, particularly non-symmetric obstruction, is a quite challenging breakthrough treatment. In terms of eccentric plaque, the non-uniform stiffness of arterial layer causes the increasingly complex issues of vulnerability. This study investigated the vulnerability of the interaction between the Asymmetric stent and the surrounding

Magnesium has attracted a lot of attention as a new class of biodegradable material. The surface properties of magnesium in simulated body fluid (SBF) were investigated in the current research work. Cast magnesium samples with different surface characteristics were prepared which were then placed in SBF for 2, 4 and 8 days. This led to the formation of hydroxylapatite coating on their surfaces. The

BACKGROUND Probing to assess conditions of hip capsule and acetabular labrum is performed by "surgeons' feeling". OBJECTIVE We investigated the resistance of the labrum and the hip capsule quantitatively while they were pulled with a probing device. METHODS With the probing device in which a strain gauge was embedded, ten fresh frozen specimens of the pelvis and proximal femur were measured in each

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) has been studied extensively due to its bioactivity and biodegradability. CPC is typically made by a combination of multiple calcium phosphates that form a paste that sets and hardens in the body after being combined with either water or an aqueous solution. It is highly moldable and easily manipulated, and CPCs possess osteoconductive properties. Due to these characteristics

BACKGROUND Breakage of joint arthroplasty components are rare, yet during an implant retrieval program we found several cases. OBJECTIVE In this study we examined the components to determine the causes and mechanisms of breakage of these implants. METHODS From our collection of 849 retrievals we selected 682 cases with metal parts (503 hip, 79 knee arthroplasties) and identified fractured components:

BACKGROUND Human beings regularly walk over even and uneven surfaces during their daily activities. A human being with lower limb disability needs an exoskeleton to walk independently. However, walking surface irregularities increase the risk of falling of exoskeleton users. This falling tendency can be minimized by balancing the exoskeleton on irregular surface profiles against the gait cycle variation

OBJECTIVE Bone remodeling is mediated by the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, so does osteoinduction triggered by calcium phosphate (CaP) biomaterials. This study aims to investigate the role and function of osteoclasts in ectopic bone formation induced by CaP biomaterials. METHODS Four kinds of mice, two outbred mouse strains (KM and ICR) and two inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6 and BALB/c)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine solutions and their inactivating agents on the push-out bond strength of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). One hundred fifty root slices were prepared and their root canal spaces were enlarged using diamond burs. MTA was prepared and compacted to root canal spaces. The samples were randomly separated to

BACKGROUND Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. It most prominently influences the skeletal, cardiovascular, and ocular systems, but all fibrous connective tissue throughout the body can be affected as well. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate a realistic three-dimensional model of an aorta of a specific patient suffering from MFS by considering elastic and hyperelastic

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE In this research, using our proposed method, clinical measurements on the pulsatile velocity of blood vessel wall were conducted for cases with aneurysm. Furthermore, detailed analyses of frequency and attracter of trajectories of velocity of blood vessel wall were conducted. On the basis of these analyses, we tried to conduct unified clarification of the change and disturbance

OBJECTIVE We aimed to develop a novel ultrasound system and examine its feasibility for noninvasively detecting thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) in clinical settings. METHODS We developed a novel ultrasound system consisting of a modified console and data analysis algorithm. The exploratory study included 100 patients hospitalized for elective cardiovascular surgery. After admission, the arterial pulse

BACKGROUND In vivo evaluation of the elastic properties of the knee joint capsule has not been adequately performed. OBJECTIVES To establish a methodology to assess the stiffness of the normal knee joint capsule over a range of knee flexion angles using ultrasound elastography. METHODS Ultrasound elastography with an acoustic coupler was used to assess the stiffness of the anteromedial capsule of the

BACKGROUND Surface modification of metallic implants is critical for improving the clinical performance of the dental and orthopedic devices. Bioactive glasses exhibit different levels of cellular function and physicochemical behavior; however, there have been few previous studies on the effect of constituents of the bioactive glasses on the in vitro osteogenic activity and corrosion resistance of

BACKGROUND A tissue engineering technique based on use of the extracellular matrix (ECM) as a scaffold shows great potential for preparing small-caliber vascular grafts. Decellularization protocols are still not standardized for bioengineering. The effects of freeze-thaw cycles used for decellularization are unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on porcine carotid arteries

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE We present a description of an experiment in which the parameters describing the quality of the mandrel embedding an implant into a bone were determined. A method was developed that allows, from outside a living organism, the strength of the mandrel of the implant in the bone tissue to be determined. Using the proposed technique, we investigated how the mechanical properties of

BACKGROUND Component malalignment in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has been related to the concentration in tibiofemoral joint of contact stress and to poor post-operative outcomes. Few studies investigated a biomechanical effect of femur component position in sagittal plane. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effect of the femoral components on the sagittal alignment

BACKGROUND The conservation of the joint anatomy is an important factor in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The restoration of the femoral posterior condylar offset (PCO) has been well known to influence the clinical outcome after TKA. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of PCO in finite element models with conservation of subject anatomy and different PCO of ±1, ±2, ±3

BACKGROUND Human dentin is a highly calcified tissue of mesenchymal origin with a heterogeneous structure. Its morphology is constantly remodelled throughout the life span of the tooth, as well as under the influence of external stimuli. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to obtain information about the thermal changes in the crown and root dentin specimens of vital and devitalized teeth. METHODS

BACKGROUND The effects of the posterior slope of the tibial prosthesis on unicompartmental knee arthroplasty have not been fully evaluated and controversies still exist. OBJECTIVE This study evaluates the effects of the posterior slope of the tibia on contact stresses in polyethylene inserts and articular cartilage using finite element analysis. METHODS We generated a computational model followed by

BACKGROUND Meniscus tissue engineering has provided a great potential treatment for meniscal injuries. However, few scaffolds in meniscus tissue engineering have matched the mechanical properties of native meniscus. OBJECTIVE In this study, we developed a composite scaffold using decellularized meniscus extracellular matrix (DMECM) and gelatin/chitosan (G/C) to explore a preferable ratio to enhance