Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Opioids Delay Healing Of Spinal Fusion: A Rabbit Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion Model, Nikhil Jain, Khaled Himed, Jeffrey M. Toth, Karen C. Briley, Frank M. Phillips, Safdar N. Khan

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background Context

Opioid use is prevalent in the management of pre- and postoperative pain in patients undergoing spinal fusion. There is evidence that opioids downregulate osteoblasts in vitro, and a previous study found that morphine delays the maturation and remodeling of callus in a rat femur fracture model. However, the effect of opioids on healing of spinal fusion has not been investigated before. Isolating the effect of opioid exposure in humans would be limited by the numerous confounding factors that affect fusion healing. Therefore, we have used a well-established rabbit model to study the process of spinal fusion healing that …

Bone Properties By Nanoindentation In Mild And Severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Carolyne Albert, John Jameson, Jeffrey M. Toth, Peter Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a heterogeneous genetic disorder characterized by bone fragility. Previous research suggests that impaired collagen network and abnormal mineralization affect bone tissue properties, however, little data is yet available to describe bone material properties in individuals with this disorder. Bone material properties have not been characterized in individuals with the most common form of osteogenesis imperfecta, type I.

Methods

Bone tissue elastic modulus and hardness were measured by nanoindentation in eleven osteotomy specimens that were harvested from children with osteogenesis imperfecta during routine surgeries. These properties were compared between osteogenesis imperfecta types I (mild, n = …

Design And Validation Of Bending Test Method For Characterization Of Miniature Pediatric Cortical Bone Specimens, Carolyne Albert, John Jameson, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Osteogenesis imperfecta is a genetic disorder of bone fragility; however, the effects of this disorder on bone material properties are not well understood. No study has yet measured bone material strength in humans with osteogenesis imperfecta. Small bone specimens are often extracted during routine fracture surgeries in children with osteogenesis imperfecta. These specimens could provide valuable insight into the effects of osteogenesis imperfecta on bone material strength; however, their small size poses a challenge to their mechanical characterization. In this study, a validated miniature three-point bending test is described that enables measurement of the flexural material properties of pediatric cortical …

An Empirical Method For Correcting The Detector Spectral Response In Energy-Resolved Ct, Taly Gilat Schmidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Energy-resolving photon-counting detectors have the potential for improved material decomposition compared to dual-kVp approaches. However, material decomposition accuracy is limited by the nonideal spectral response of the detectors. This work proposes an empirical method for correcting the nonideal spectral response, including spectrum-tailing effects. Unlike previous correction methods which relied on synchrotron measurements, the proposed method can be performed on the scanner. The proposed method estimates a spectral-response matrix by performing x-ray projection measurements through a range of known thicknesses of two or more calibration materials. Once estimated, the spectral-response matrix is incorporated into conventional material decomposition algorithms. A simulation study …