Cavazzoni, G. orcid.org/0000-0002-0157-8053, Pasini, M. orcid.org/0009-0003-6454-0153, Le Maitre, C.L. et al. (2 more authors) (2025) Degeneration of the nucleus pulposus affects the internal volumetric strains and failure location of adjacent human metastatic vertebral bodies. Acta Biomaterialia, 194. pp. 258-269. ISSN 1742-7061
Abstract
Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is suspected to affect the distribution of stress and strain near the vertebral endplates and in the underlying bone. This scenario is worsened by the presence of metastatic lesions on the vertebrae (primarily thoracic vertebrae (60–80 %)) which increase the risk of fracture. As such, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of IVD degeneration on the internal volumetric strains and failure modes of human metastatic vertebral bodies.
Five human thoracic spinal segments including one vertebra with lytic metastases and one radiologically healthy vertebra (control) were in situ tested in pure compression within a μCT scanner (isotropic voxel size = 39μm). Each specimen was tested in the elastic regime before and after inducing mock IVD degeneration (enzymatic degeneration with collagenase); and at failure after IVD degeneration. The volumetric strain field was measured using a global Digital Volume Correlation approach (BoneDVC).
After IVD degeneration, larger maximum (+187 %, P = 0.002, 95 % CI= [-4447, -1209]) and minimum (+174 %, P = 0.002, 95% CI= [1679, 4258]) principal strains were observed in both metastatic and control vertebrae, with peak differences in correspondence of the IVD anulus fibrosus. IVD degeneration caused a transversal fracture pattern in the vertebrae with failure location onset in the middle portion of the vertebral body and in the cortical shell.
In conclusion, IVD degeneration was found to be a key factor in determining the failure mode, suggesting the clinical relevance of including IVD level of degeneration to assess patients’ risk of spinal instability.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ). |
Keywords: | Intervertebral disc degeneration; Spinal metastases; Digital volume correlation; In situ mechanical tests; Failure mode |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Medicine and Population Health |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number European Commission 832430 UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION 10075325 EUROPEAN COMMISSION - HORIZON 2020 832430 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jan 2025 08:40 |
Last Modified: | 13 Mar 2025 08:36 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier BV |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.actbio.2025.01.018 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:221941 |