[Biomechanical test study of rat femurs growing under different stress environment]

By creating two kinds of stress environment in the same animal model, we performed a three-point bending test and a compressing test on the rat femurs growing under different stress conditions to characterize the effect of stress on bone mechanical properties. The right hindlimbs were subjected to sciatic nerve resection to become cripple and were used as unloading group; the left hindlimbs bore excess load and made up the overloading group; the normal rats were used as control group. The animals were encouraged to exercise for half an hour everyday in the morning, noon and evening. The experiment observation finished in four weeks. The biomechanical parameters of femur diaphyses were measured. The experiment results showed that stress environment may change several mechanical parameters of rat femurs. This study indicated that bone tissues can adapt to its stress environment by changing its mechanical properties. The experimental model in this article is practical and reliable.