Effect of high-energy X-ray doses on bone elastic properties and residual strains

Bone X-ray irradiation occurs during medical treatments, sterilization of allografts, space travel and in vitro studies. High doses are known to affect the post-yield properties of bone, but their effect on the bone elastic properties is unclear. The effect of such doses on the mineral-organic interface has also not been adequately addressed. Here, the evolution of elastic properties and residual strains with increasing synchrotron X-ray dose (5-3880 kGy) is examined on bovine cortical bone. It is found that these doses affect neither the degree of nanometer-level load transfer between the hydroxyapatite (HAP) platelets and the collagen up to stresses of -60 MPa nor the microscopic modulus of collagen fibrils (both measured by synchrotron X-ray scattering during repeated in situ loading and unloading). However, the residual elastic strains in the HAP phase decrease markedly with increased irradiation, indicating damage at the HAP-collagen interface. The HAP residual strain also decreases after repeated loading/unloading cycles. These observations can be explained by temporary de-bonding at the HAP/collagen interface (thus reducing the residual strain), followed by rapid re-bonding (so that load transfer capability is not affected).