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Assessing tissue mechanical properties: Development of a custom-made tensile device and application on rodents
Eve Petit1, Viktoriia Bavykina2, Martin Thibault1
1Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, J1K 2R1, QC, Canada.
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
|August 31, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed a custom tensile device to accurately measure mechanical properties of rodent sciatic nerves. This advancement is crucial for creating effective synthetic scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Neuroscience
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Peripheral nerve regeneration research requires accurate mechanical property data of nerves.
- Existing data on nerve mechanical properties are scarce and inconsistent, hindering biomaterial development.
- A robust testing device is needed to overcome these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a custom-made tensile device (CMTD) for characterizing peripheral nerve mechanical properties.
- To establish reliable mechanical property data (Young's modulus, maximum stress, strain at break) for rodent sciatic nerves.
- To provide essential data for the design of improved synthetic scaffolds for nerve regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Construction of a custom-made tensile device (CMTD).
- Validation of CMTD accuracy and reproducibility using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS).
- Mechanical characterization of sciatic nerves from mice and rats using the CMTD.
Main Results:
- Young's modulus: 4.57 ± 2.04 MPa (mice), 19.2 ± 0.86 MPa (rats).
- Maximum stress: 1.26 ± 0.56 MPa (mice), 3.81 ± 1.84 MPa (rats).
- Strain at break: 53 ± 17% (mice), 32 ± 12% (rats). Rat sciatic nerves had twice the axon count of mouse nerves. No significant sex-related trends were observed, except for mouse maximum stress.
Conclusions:
- The developed CMTD provides accurate and reproducible mechanical property measurements for rodent sciatic nerves.
- Established mechanical property values offer critical insights for designing biomimetic scaffolds.
- This work is a significant step towards advancing synthetic scaffold development for peripheral nerve regeneration.
