In situ sychrotron X-ray imaging with micromechanics  Event

Bone diseases such as osteoporosis and rickets cause significant reduction in bone quantity and quality, leading to mechanical abnormalities. While the reduction of bone quantity can be assessed using clinical tools like DXA and pQCT, there is little quantitative knowledge of how altered bone quality in diseased bone increases fracture risk. A functional imaging technique (in situ synchrotron X-ray imaging with micromechanics) was developed to measure alterations in fibrillar deformation mechanisms in rickets, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, and premature ageing. To link nanostructural changes to altered fracture risk and deformability, well defined animal (mouse) models created via N-ethylnitrosurea mutagenesis were used. Results demonstrate the ability of synchrotron-based in situ X-ray nanomechanical imaging to identify functional alterations in nanoscale bone quality in metabolic bone disease.