Introducing a Unique Measurement for Biomaterial Nanomechanics

Raman Spectroscopy Methods to Characterize the Mechanical Response of Soft Biomaterials

Raman spectroscopy has been used extensively to characterize the influence of mechanical deformation on microstructure changes in biomaterials. While traditional piezo-spectroscopy has been successful in assessing internal stresses of hard biomaterials by tracking prominent peak shifts, peak shifts due to applied loads are near or below the resolution limit of the spectrometer for soft biomaterials with moduli in the kilo- to mega-Pascal range. In this Review, in addition to peak shifts, other spectral features (e.g., polarized intensity and intensity ratio) that provide quantitative assessments of microstructural orientation and secondary structure in soft biomaterials and their strain dependence are discussed. We provide specific examples for each method and classify sensitive Raman characteristic bands common across natural (e.g., soft tissue) and synthetic (e.g., polymeric scaffolds) soft biomaterials upon mechanical deformation. This Review can provide guidance for researchers aiming to analyze micromechanics of soft tissues and engineered tissue constructs by Raman spectroscopy.

Stress mapping of undamaged, strained, and failed regions of bone using Raman spectroscopy

Stress differences via spectral shifts that arise among failed, strained, and undamaged regions of bone can be determined using Raman spectroscopy and double-notch specimens. A double-notch specimen is a model in which the early stages of fracture can be examined. At four-point bending, fracture occurs at one of the notches. Tissue near each notch is representative of bone in a state either directly before or after bone failure. Raman images are acquired among three regions: control, strained (root of unbroken notch), and failed (root of fractured notch). The center of gravities (CGs), a way to monitor wavenumber shifts, of the phosphate v(1) band are calculated. A PO(4) (-3) v(1) band shift most likely corresponds to a change in spacing between phosphate cations and anions. This spectral shift is converted into stress values using the dvdP coefficient, determined by applying known pressures/stresses and measuring the change in position of the PO(4) (-3) v(1) band. In comparison to control regions, the residual stress in strained and failed regions is significantly higher (p=0.0425 and p=0.0169, respectively). In strained regions, residual stress is concentrated near the corners of the unbroken notch, whereas in failed regions the high stresses are confined near the edge of the fracture.

Characterization of nanoindentation-induced residual stresses in human enamel by Raman microspectroscopy

The objective of this research was to investigate nanoindentation-induced residual stresses in human enamel using Raman microspectroscopy and establish if this approach can be used as a stress meter. Healthy human premolars and sintered hydroxyapatite samples were embedded, cut, and the surfaces were polished finely with a 0.05 microm polishing paste before Berkovich and spherical indentations were made with a force of 100 mN. Spectra were collected using a Renishaw Raman InVia reflex microscope equipped with an air-cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Sample excitation was achieved using either an argon ion laser emitting at 514.5-nm or a NIR diode laser emitting at 830-nm. The residual micro stresses within and surrounding the indentation impressions were monitored by mapping the position of the nu(1)(PO(4)) band of (crystalline) hydroxyapatite. The Raman maps coincided well with the optical micrographs of the samples. Despite the presence of a fluorescence background from the organic component of human enamel, spectra collected using 514.5-nm excitation exhibited more significant shifts in the position of the nu(1)(PO(4)) band than spectra collected using 830-nm excitation. This implies that the former excitation may be a more appropriate excitation for stress detection. It was concluded that Raman microspectroscopy provides a novel high-resolution and non-destructive method for exploring the role of microstructure on the residual stress distribution within natural biocomposites.

Surface micro-analyses of long-term worn retrieved “Osteal™” alumina ceramic total hip replacement

We analyzed wear pattern of long-term retrieved alumina-alumina hip prostheses from Osteal, which were implanted for 15-19 years. A comparison was carried out with our previous study of 17-year Biolox alumina-on-alumina hip prostheses, (Shishido et al., J Biomed Mater Res B 2003;67:638-647) and all-alumina total hip replacement run under microseparation simulator tests. Of particular interest was the occurrence of stripe wear in these first generation alumina ceramic bearings. Two balls of Osteal revealed only one stripe wear as did the respective liners on their rim areas. In these latter balls, the stripes were shallower than those previously observed in Biolox implants. A microscopic analysis of the bearing surface was carried out using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microprobe spectroscopy. On average, the Osteal retrievals had one grade lower wear than Biolox retrievals. Fluorescence microprobe maps showed that Biolox ball surfaces had higher compressive stress than the Osteal likely due to severe impingement and microseparation promoted by the bulky implant design.

Raman piezo-spectroscopic analysis of natural and synthetic biomaterials

Raman piezo-spectroscopy of bone, teeth, and artificial joints is reviewed with emphasis placed on confocal microprobe techniques. Characteristic spectra are presented and quantitative assessments of their phase structure and stress dependence are shown. Vibrational spectroscopy is used here to study the microscopic stress response of cortical bone to external stress (with or without internal damages), to define microscopic stresses across the dentine-enamel junction under increasing external compressive load, and to characterize interactions between prosthetic implants and biological environment. Confocal spectroscopy allows acquisition of spatially resolved spectra and stress imaging with high spatial resolution.

Raman spectroscopic analysis of phase-transformation and stress patterns in zirconia hip joints

Confocal Raman piezo-spectroscopy has been used for the quantitative assessments of phase transformation and residual stresses in zirconia made artificial hip joints. This work can be considered to be a first step towards the development of a fully quantitative technique for the spectroscopic characterization of zirconia femoral heads and other zirconia parts for biomedical applications. After establishing reliable calibration procedures, Raman microprobe spectroscopy could be extended to provide quantitative assessments of zirconia metastability and microscopic stress fields along the z axis perpendicular to the joint surface. For the first time, we have directly visualized patterns of phase-transformation and related residual stresses on the very surface and along the subsurface of both in vitro tested and retrieved hip implants. These spectroscopic assessments may open a completely new perspective in understanding the micromechanical wear behavior of zirconia ceramics in biological environment and in developing new zirconia-based biomaterials with superior stability characteristics.