Density and mechanical properties of vertebral trabecular bone-A review.

Being able to predict the mechanical properties of vertebrae in patients with osteoporosis and other relevant pathologies is essential to prevent fractures and to develop the most favorable fracture treatments. Furthermore, a reliable prediction is important for developing more patient- and pathology-specific biomaterials. A plethora of studies correlating bone density to mechanical properties has been reported; however, the results are variable, due to a variety of factors, including anatomical site and methodological differences.

Magnetic resonance elastography in nonlinear viscoelastic materials under load.

Characterisation of soft tissue mechanical properties is a topic of increasing interest in translational and clinical research. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has been used in this context to assess the mechanical properties of tissues in vivo noninvasively. Typically, these analyses rely on linear viscoelastic wave equations to assess material properties from measured wave dynamics.

Is vertebral body stenting in combination with CaP cement superior to kyphoplasty?

Purpose: In the evolution of the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral compression fractures, vertebral body stenting (VBS) was developed to reduce intraoperative and secondary loss of vertebral height. Particularly in combination with the usage of biodegradable cement, the influence of VBS on the rate of intraoperative complications and long-term outcome is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) and VBS regarding their long-term clinical and radiological outcome in combination with calcium phosphate (CaP) application instead of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

Breast magnetic resonance elastography: a review of clinical work and future perspectives.

This review on magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) of the breast provides an overview of available literature and describes current developments in the field of breast MRE, including new transducer technology for data acquisition and multi-frequency-derived power-law behaviour of tissue. Moreover, we discuss the future potential of breast MRE, which goes beyond its original application as an additional tool in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions. These areas of ongoing and future research include MRE for pre-operative tumour delineation, staging, monitoring and predicting response to treatment, as well as prediction of the metastatic potential of primary tumours.