1
|
Vitienes I, Mikolajewicz N, Hosseinitabatabaei S, Bouchard A, Julien C, Graceffa G, Rentsch A, Widowski T, Main RP, Willie BM. Breed and loading history influence in vivo skeletal strain patterns in pre-pubertal female chickens. Bone 2023; 173:116785. [PMID: 37146896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2023.116785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The influence of loading history on in vivo strains within a given specie remains poorly understood, and although in vivo strains have been measured at the hindlimb bones of various species, strains engendered during modes of activity other than locomotion are lacking, particularly in non-human species. For commercial egg-laying chickens specifically, there is an interest in understanding their bones' mechanical behaviour, particularly during youth, to develop early interventions to prevent the high incidence of osteoporosis in this population. We measured in vivo mechanical strains at the tibiotarsus midshaft during steady activities (ground, uphill, downhill locomotion) and non-steady activities (perching, jumping, aerial transition landing) in 48 pre-pubescent female (egg-laying) chickens from two breeds that were reared in three different housing systems, allowing varying amounts and types of physical activity. Mechanical strain patterns differed between breeds, and were dependent on the activity performed. Mechanical strains were also affected by rearing environment: chickens that were restricted from performing dynamic load bearing activity due to caged-housing generally exhibited higher mechanical strain levels during steady, but not non-steady activities, compared to chickens with prior dynamic load-bearing activity experience. Among chickens with prior experience of dynamic load bearing activity, those reared in housing systems that allowed more frequent physical activity did not exhibit lower mechanical strains. In all groups, the tibiotarsus was subjected to a loading environment consisting of a combination of axial compression, bending, and torsion, with torsion being the predominant source of strain. Aerial transition landing produced the highest strain levels with unusual strain patterns compared to other activities, suggesting it may produce the strongest anabolic response. These results exemplify how different breeds within a given specie adapt to maintain different patterns of mechanical strains, and how benefits of physical activity in terms of resistance to strain are activity-type dependent and do not necessarily increase with increased physical activity. These findings directly inform controlled loading experiments aimed at studying the bone mechanoresponse in young female chickens and can also be associated to measures of bone morphology and material properties to understand how these features influence bone mechanical properties in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabela Vitienes
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada, Montreal, Canada; Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Seyedmahdi Hosseinitabatabaei
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada, Montreal, Canada; Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alice Bouchard
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Catherine Julien
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Gabrielle Graceffa
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ana Rentsch
- Department of Animal Bioscience, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Tina Widowski
- Department of Animal Bioscience, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Russell P Main
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, Indiana, USA; Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, Indiana, USA
| | - Bettina M Willie
- Research Centre, Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada, Montreal, Canada; Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gônet J, Bardin J, Girondot M, Hutchinson JR, Laurin M. Unravelling the postural diversity of mammals: Contribution of humeral cross-sections to palaeobiological inferences. J MAMM EVOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-023-09652-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
|
3
|
Brocklehurst RJ, Fahn-Lai P, Regnault S, Pierce SE. Musculoskeletal modeling of sprawling and parasagittal forelimbs provides insight into synapsid postural transition. iScience 2022; 25:103578. [PMID: 37609446 PMCID: PMC10441569 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The sprawling-parasagittal postural shift was a major transition during synapsid evolution, underpinned by reorganization of the forelimb, and considered key to mammalian ecological diversity. Determining when and how this transition occurred in the fossil record is challenging owing to limited comparative data on extant species. Here, we built forelimb musculoskeletal models of three extant taxa that bracket sprawling-parasagittal postures-tegu lizard, echidna, and opossum-and tested the relationship between three-dimensional joint mobility, muscle action, and posture. Results demonstrate clear functional variation between postural grades, with the parasagittal opossum occupying a distinct region of pose space characterized by a highly retracted and depressed shoulder joint that emphasizes versatility and humeral elevation. Applying our data to the fossil record support trends of an increasingly retracted humerus and greater elevation muscle moment arms indicative of more parasagittal postures throughout synapsid evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Brocklehurst
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 01239, USA
| | - Philip Fahn-Lai
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 01239, USA
- Concord Field Station and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Bedford, MA01730, USA
| | - Sophie Regnault
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 01239, USA
- Institute of Biological, Environment & Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, CeredigionSY23 3DA, UK
| | - Stephanie E. Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 01239, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Smith SM, Stayton CT, Angielczyk KD. How many trees to see the forest? Assessing the effects of morphospace coverage and sample size in performance surface analysis. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Smith
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center Field Museum of Natural History Chicago IL USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fahn-Lai P, Biewener AA, Pierce SE. Broad similarities in shoulder muscle architecture and organization across two amniotes: implications for reconstructing non-mammalian synapsids. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8556. [PMID: 32117627 PMCID: PMC7034385 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of upright limb posture in mammals may have enabled modifications of the forelimb for diverse locomotor ecologies. A rich fossil record of non-mammalian synapsids holds the key to unraveling the transition from "sprawling" to "erect" limb function in the precursors to mammals, but a detailed understanding of muscle functional anatomy is a necessary prerequisite to reconstructing postural evolution in fossils. Here we characterize the gross morphology and internal architecture of muscles crossing the shoulder joint in two morphologically-conservative extant amniotes that form a phylogenetic and morpho-functional bracket for non-mammalian synapsids: the Argentine black and white tegu Salvator merianae and the Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana. By combining traditional physical dissection of cadavers with nondestructive three-dimensional digital dissection, we find striking similarities in muscle organization and architectural parameters. Despite the wide phylogenetic gap between our study species, distal muscle attachments are notably similar, while differences in proximal muscle attachments are driven by modifications to the skeletal anatomy of the pectoral girdle that are well-documented in transitional synapsid fossils. Further, correlates for force production, physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), muscle gearing (pennation), and working range (fascicle length) are statistically indistinguishable for an unexpected number of muscles. Functional tradeoffs between force production and working range reveal muscle specializations that may facilitate increased girdle mobility, weight support, and active stabilization of the shoulder in the opossum-a possible signal of postural transformation. Together, these results create a foundation for reconstructing the musculoskeletal anatomy of the non-mammalian synapsid pectoral girdle with greater confidence, as we demonstrate by inferring shoulder muscle PCSAs in the fossil non-mammalian cynodont Massetognathus pascuali.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Fahn-Lai
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Concord Field Station and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew A. Biewener
- Concord Field Station and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Stephanie E. Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Granatosky MC, McElroy EJ, Lemelin P, Reilly SM, Nyakatura JA, Andrada E, Kilbourne BM, Allen VR, Butcher MT, Blob RW, Ross CF. Variation in limb loading magnitude and timing in tetrapods. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 223:jeb.201525. [PMID: 31776184 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.201525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Comparative analyses of locomotion in tetrapods reveal two patterns of stride cycle variability. Tachymetabolic tetrapods (birds and mammals) have lower inter-cycle variation in stride duration than bradymetabolic tetrapods (amphibians, lizards, turtles and crocodilians). This pattern has been linked to the fact that birds and mammals share enlarged cerebella, relatively enlarged and heavily myelinated Ia afferents, and γ-motoneurons to their muscle spindles. Both tachymetabolic tetrapod lineages also possess an encapsulated Golgi tendon morphology, thought to provide more spatially precise information on muscle tension. The functional consequence of this derived Golgi tendon morphology has never been tested. We hypothesized that one advantage of precise information on muscle tension would be lower and more predictable limb bone stresses, achieved in tachymetabolic tetrapods by having less variable substrate reaction forces than bradymetabolic tetrapods. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed hindlimb substrate reaction forces during locomotion of 55 tetrapod species in a phylogenetic comparative framework. Variation in species means of limb loading magnitude and timing confirm that, for most of the variables analyzed, variance in hindlimb loading and timing is significantly lower in species with encapsulated versus unencapsulated Golgi tendon organs. These findings suggest that maintaining predictable limb loading provides a selective advantage for birds and mammals by allowing energy savings during locomotion, lower limb bone safety factors and quicker recovery from perturbations. The importance of variation in other biomechanical variables in explaining these patterns, such as posture, effective mechanical advantage and center-of-mass mechanics, remains to be clarified.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Eric J McElroy
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Pierre Lemelin
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2H7
| | - Stephen M Reilly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 43210, USA
| | - John A Nyakatura
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Emanuel Andrada
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07749 Jena, Germany
| | - Brandon M Kilbourne
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vivian R Allen
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Michael T Butcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - Richard W Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, SC 29634, USA
| | - Callum F Ross
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bishop PJ, Hocknull SA, Clemente CJ, Hutchinson JR, Farke AA, Barrett RS, Lloyd DG. Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part III-Inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct theropods, and its evolution on the line to birds. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5777. [PMID: 30402346 PMCID: PMC6215443 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper is the last of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian species. Cancellous bone is highly sensitive to its prevailing mechanical environment, and may therefore help further understanding of locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates such as dinosaurs. Here in Part III, the biomechanical modelling approach derived previously was applied to two species of extinct, non-avian theropods, Daspletosaurus torosus and Troodon formosus. Observed cancellous bone architectural patterns were linked with quasi-static, three-dimensional musculoskeletal and finite element models of the hindlimb of both species, and used to derive characteristic postures that best aligned continuum-level principal stresses with cancellous bone fabric. The posture identified for Daspletosaurus was largely upright, with a subvertical femoral orientation, whilst that identified for Troodon was more crouched, but not to the degree observed in extant birds. In addition to providing new insight on posture and limb articulation, this study also tested previous hypotheses of limb bone loading mechanics and muscular control strategies in non-avian theropods, and how these aspects evolved on the line to birds. The results support the hypothesis that an upright femoral posture is correlated with bending-dominant bone loading and abduction-based muscular support of the hip, whereas a crouched femoral posture is correlated with torsion-dominant bone loading and long-axis rotation-based muscular support. Moreover, the results of this study also support the inference that hindlimb posture, bone loading mechanics and muscular support strategies evolved in a gradual fashion along the line to extant birds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Bishop
- Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research, Engineering and Education Alliance, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Current affiliation: Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Scott A. Hocknull
- Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christofer J. Clemente
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew A. Farke
- Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology at The Webb Schools, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - Rod S. Barrett
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research, Engineering and Education Alliance, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - David G. Lloyd
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research, Engineering and Education Alliance, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Hutson JD, Hutson KN. An Investigation of the Locomotor Function of Therian Forearm Pronation Provides Renewed Support for an Arboreal, Chameleon-like Evolutionary Stage. J MAMM EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-016-9341-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
9
|
Verner KA, Lehner M, Lamas LP, Main RP. Experimental tests of planar strain theory for predicting bone cross-sectional longitudinal and shear strains. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:3082-3090. [PMID: 27471276 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.134536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the diversity of skeletal loading regimes in vertebrate long bones during locomotion has been significantly enhanced by the application of planar strain theory (PST) to in vivo bone strain data. PST is used to model the distribution of longitudinal strains normal to the bone's transverse cross-section and the location of the neutral axis of bending. To our knowledge, the application of this theory to skeletal biomechanics has not been experimentally validated. We evaluated the accuracy of PST using strain measurements from emu tibiotarsi instrumented with four strain gauges and loaded in ex vivo four-point bending. Using measured strains from three-gauge combinations, PST was applied to predict strain values at a fourth gauge's location. Experimentally measured and predicted strain values correlated linearly with a slope near 1.0, suggesting that PST accurately predicts longitudinal strains. Additionally, we assessed the use of PST to extrapolate shear strains to locations on a bone not instrumented with rosette strain gauges. Guineafowl TBTs were instrumented with rosette strain gauges and in vivo longitudinal and shear strains were measured during treadmill running. Individual-specific and sample-mean ratios between measured longitudinal strains from the medial and posterior bone surfaces were used to extrapolate posterior-site shear strain from shear strains measured on the medial surface. Measured and predicted shear strains at the posterior gauge site using either ratio showed trends for a positive correlation between measured and predicted strains, but the correlation did not equal 1.0 and had a non-zero intercept, suggesting that the use of PST should be carefully considered in the context of the goals of the study and the desired precision for the predicted shear strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kari A. Verner
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Michael Lehner
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Luis P. Lamas
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Pólo da Ajuda, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Russell P. Main
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Aiello BR, Iriarte-Diaz J, Blob RW, Butcher MT, Carrano MT, Espinoza NR, Main RP, Ross CF. Bone strain magnitude is correlated with bone strain rate in tetrapods: implications for models of mechanotransduction. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20150321. [PMID: 26063842 PMCID: PMC4590470 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypotheses suggest that structural integrity of vertebrate bones is maintained by controlling bone strain magnitude via adaptive modelling in response to mechanical stimuli. Increased tissue-level strain magnitude and rate have both been identified as potent stimuli leading to increased bone formation. Mechanotransduction models hypothesize that osteocytes sense bone deformation by detecting fluid flow-induced drag in the bone's lacunar-canalicular porosity. This model suggests that the osteocyte's intracellular response depends on fluid-flow rate, a product of bone strain rate and gradient, but does not provide a mechanism for detection of strain magnitude. Such a mechanism is necessary for bone modelling to adapt to loads, because strain magnitude is an important determinant of skeletal fracture. Using strain gauge data from the limb bones of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, we identified strong correlations between strain rate and magnitude across clades employing diverse locomotor styles and degrees of rhythmicity. The breadth of our sample suggests that this pattern is likely to be a common feature of tetrapod bone loading. Moreover, finding that bone strain magnitude is encoded in strain rate at the tissue level is consistent with the hypothesis that it might be encoded in fluid-flow rate at the cellular level, facilitating bone adaptation via mechanotransduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B R Aiello
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - J Iriarte-Diaz
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - R W Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - M T Butcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - M T Carrano
- Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - N R Espinoza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - R P Main
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - C F Ross
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Copploe JV, Blob RW, Parrish JHA, Butcher MT. In vivo strains in the femur of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). J Morphol 2015; 276:889-99. [PMID: 25809577 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The capacity of limb bones to resist the locomotor loads they encounter depends on both the pattern of those loads and the material properties of the skeletal elements. Among mammals, understanding of the interplay between these two factors has been based primarily on evidence from locomotor behaviors in upright placentals, which show limb bones that are loaded predominantly in anteroposterior bending with minimal amounts of torsion. However, loading patterns from the femora of opossums, marsupials using crouched limb posture, show appreciable torsion while the bone experiences mediolateral (ML) bending. These data indicated greater loading diversity in mammals than was previously recognized, and suggested the possibility that ancestral loading patterns found in sprawling lineages (e.g., reptilian sauropsids) might have been retained among basal mammals. To further test this hypothesis, we recorded in vivo locomotor strains from the femur of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), a member of the basal xenarthran clade of placental mammals that also uses crouched limb posture. Orientations of principal strains and magnitudes of shear strains indicate that armadillo femora are exposed to only limited torsion; however, bending is essentially ML, placing the medial aspect of the femur in compression and the lateral aspect in tension. This orientation of bending is similar to that found in opossums, but planar strain analyses indicate much more of the armadillo femur experiences tension during bending, potentially due to muscles pulling on the large, laterally positioned third trochanter. Limb bone safety factors were estimated between 3.3 and 4.3 in bending, similar to other placental mammals, but lower than opossums and most sprawling taxa. Thus, femoral loading patterns in armadillos show a mixture of similarities to both opossums (ML bending) and other placentals (limited torsion and low safety factors), along with unique features (high axial tension) that likely relate to their distinctive hindlimb anatomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph V Copploe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
| | - Richard W Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
| | | | - Michael T Butcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Blob RW, Espinoza NR, Butcher MT, Lee AH, D'Amico AR, Baig F, Sheffield KM. Diversity of Limb-Bone Safety Factors for Locomotion in Terrestrial Vertebrates: Evolution and Mixed Chains. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:1058-71. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
13
|
Jade S, Tamvada KH, Strait DS, Grosse IR. Finite element analysis of a femur to deconstruct the paradox of bone curvature. J Theor Biol 2013; 341:53-63. [PMID: 24099719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Most long limb bones in terrestrial mammals exhibit a longitudinal curvature and have been found to be loaded in bending. Bone curvature poses a paradox in terms of the mechanical function of limb bones, for many believe the curvature in these bones increases bending stress, potentially reducing the bone's load carrying capacity (i.e., its mechanical strength). The aim of this study is to investigate the role of longitudinal bone curvature in the design of limb bones. In particular, it has been hypothesized that bone curvature results in a trade-off between the bone's mechanical strength and its bending predictability. We employed finite element analysis (FEA) of abstract and realistic human femora to address this issue. Geometrically simplified human femur models with different curvatures were developed and analyzed with a commercial FEA tool to examine how curvature affects the bone's bending predictability and load carrying capacity. Results were post-processed to yield probability density functions (PDFs) describing the circumferential location of maximum equivalent stress for various curvatures in order to assess bending predictability. To validate our findings, a finite element model was built from a CT scan of a real human femur and compared to the simplified femur model. We found general agreement in trends but some quantitative differences most likely due to the geometric differences between the digitally reconstructed and the simplified finite element models. As hypothesized by others, our results support the hypothesis that bone curvature can increase bending predictability, but at the expense of bone strength.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Jade
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 160 Governor's Drive, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Kelli H Tamvada
- Department of Anthropology, Arts and Sciences 237, 1400 Washington Ave., University of Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - David S Strait
- Department of Anthropology, Arts and Sciences 237, 1400 Washington Ave., University of Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Ian R Grosse
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 160 Governor's Drive, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Aiello BR, Blob RW, Butcher MT. Correlation of muscle function and bone strain in the hindlimb of the river cooter turtle (Pseudemys concinna). J Morphol 2013; 274:1060-9. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Revised: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brett R. Aiello
- Department of Biological Sciences; Youngstown State University; Youngstown; Ohio
| | - Richard W. Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences; Clemson University; Clemson; South Carolina
| | - Michael T. Butcher
- Department of Biological Sciences; Youngstown State University; Youngstown; Ohio
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Brassey CA, Kitchener AC, Withers PJ, Manning PL, Sellers WI. The Role of Cross-Sectional Geometry, Curvature, and Limb Posture in Maintaining Equal Safety Factors: A Computed Tomography Study. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2013; 296:395-413. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.22658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew C. Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences; National Museum of Scotland; Edinburgh United Kingdom
- Institute of Geography; School of Geosciences; University of Edinburgh; Drummond Street Edinburgh United Kingdom
| | - Philip J. Withers
- Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility; School of Materials; University of Manchester; Manchester United Kingdom
| | - Phillip L. Manning
- School of Earth; Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences; University of Manchester; Manchester United Kingdom
| | - William I. Sellers
- Faculty of Life Sciences; University of Manchester; Manchester United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gosnell WC, Butcher MT, Maie T, Blob RW. Femoral loading mechanics in the Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana: torsion and mediolateral bending in mammalian locomotion. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:3455-66. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.060178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Studies of limb bone loading in terrestrial mammals have typically found anteroposterior bending to be the primary loading regime, with torsion contributing minimally. However, previous studies have focused on large, cursorial eutherian species in which the limbs are held essentially upright. Recent in vivo strain data from the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), a marsupial that uses a crouched rather than an upright limb posture, have indicated that its femur experiences appreciable torsion during locomotion as well as strong mediolateral bending. The elevated femoral torsion and strong mediolateral bending observed in D. virginiana might result from external forces such as a medial inclination of the ground reaction force (GRF), internal forces deriving from a crouched limb posture, or a combination of these factors. To evaluate the mechanism underlying the loading regime of opossum femora, we filmed D. virginiana running over a force platform, allowing us to measure the magnitude of the GRF and its three-dimensional orientation relative to the limb, facilitating estimates of limb bone stresses. This three-dimensional analysis also allows evaluations of muscular forces, particularly those of hip adductor muscles, in the appropriate anatomical plane to a greater degree than previous two-dimensional analyses. At peak GRF and stress magnitudes, the GRF is oriented nearly vertically, inducing a strong abductor moment at the hip that is countered by adductor muscles on the medial aspect of the femur that place this surface in compression and induce mediolateral bending, corroborating and explaining loading patterns that were identified in strain analyses. The crouched orientation of the femur during stance in opossums also contributes to levels of femoral torsion as high as those seen in many reptilian taxa. Femoral safety factors were as high as those of non-avian reptiles and greater than those of upright, cursorial mammals, primarily because the load magnitudes experienced by opossums are lower than those of most mammals. Thus, the evolutionary transition from crouched to upright posture in mammalian ancestors may have been accompanied by an increase in limb bone load magnitudes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W. Casey Gosnell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Michael T. Butcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - Takashi Maie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Richard W. Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|