ThesisAbstract
- 1. Abstract Phung, Thien-Chuong. M.S. The University of Memphis. May 2013. Strain analysis of proliferative chondrocyte response to compression by fluorescent microscopy. Major Professor: Dr. Esra Roan, Ph.D. The growth plate is a layer of hyaline cartilage between the epiphysis and diaphysis of long bones and is responsible for the longitudinal growth of bone. Like the remodeling of mature bones, bone growth is influenced by its surrounding environment, but the underlying mechanisms of this process are less understood, although there appears to be a link between mechanical loading and bone growth. For example, the Hueter-Volkmann law states that growth rate decreases due to excessive compressive loading. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed to lead to growth retardation in the case of excessive compression such as vascular obstruction, alterations in growth plate morphology, and permanent damage to the growth plate. However, because current imaging methods do not allow observation of the growth plate and its micro- scale features in real time under loading conditions, there remains a discussion of how these excessive loads lead to growth retardation. As such, the aim of this study is to understand the effects of compressive loading on the micro-scale structures of the growth plate by creating a method that will allow imaging and analysis of the growth plate chondrocytes while under compression. A compressive device was designed to administer 15% compressive strain to porcine growth plate samples while allowing the use of fluorescent microscopy to measure the resulting strain in the growth plate. This gave insight to how macro-scale loading of the bone samples is correlated to the micro-strain observed in the growth plate. The average measured strain in the proliferative zone was approximately 12%, which was less than the applied strain.