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A Rat Lung Transplantation Model of Warm Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: Optimizations to Improve Outcomes

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Published on: October 28, 2021

Ribcage compressibility in living subjects.

M Lee¹, S Hill, J Scullin

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia.

Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)

|August 7, 2013

Summary

The living ribcage is significantly less stiff than embalmed cadavers but similar to fresh ones. This study provides crucial anteroposterior compressibility data for validating biomechanical models of the thorax.

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Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Thoracic biomechanics
Human physiology

Background:

Biomechanical models of the thoracic spine require validation against living subject data.
Understanding ribcage mechanics is essential for accurate model development.
Previous studies often rely on cadaveric data, which may not fully represent living tissue properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify the anteroposterior (AP) compressibility of the living human ribcage.
To compare the stiffness of living ribcages with previously published cadaveric data.
To provide experimental data for the validation of thoracic biomechanical models.

Main Methods:

Seventeen healthy adult subjects (25-37 years) underwent slow oscillatory loading.
Measurements were taken during breath-holding at the end of normal expiration.
Anteroposterior forces were applied to the ribcage to determine stiffness.

Main Results:

The mean stiffness coefficient of the living ribcage was 9.4 N/mm (SD 2.9).
The mean gradient of the force-strain relation was 1888 N (SD 646).
Living ribcage stiffness was found to be approximately three times less than embalmed cadavers but comparable to fresh cadavers.

Conclusions:

Living human ribcages exhibit distinct mechanical properties compared to embalmed cadavers.
The data generated is suitable for validating computational models of the thorax.
This research bridges the gap between cadaveric studies and the biomechanics of living subjects.