Title: Ultrasonic wave propagation assessment of native cartilage explants and hydrogel scaffolds for tissue engineering

Authors: Sean S. Kohles; Shelley S. Mason; Anya P. Adams; Robert J. Berg; Jessica Blank; Fay Gibson; Johnathan Righetti; Iesha S. Washington; Asit K. Saha

Addresses: Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Regenerative Bioengineering Laboratory, Departments of Mechanical & Materials Engineering and Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA ' Center for Allaying Health Disparities through Research and Education (CADRE), Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, USA ' Center for Allaying Health Disparities through Research and Education (CADRE), Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, USA

Abstract: Non-destructive techniques characterising the mechanical properties of cells, tissues, and biomaterials provide baseline metrics for tissue engineering design. Ultrasonic wave propagation and attenuation has previously demonstrated the dynamics of extracellular matrix synthesis in chondrocyte-seeded hydrogel constructs. In this paper, we describe an ultrasonic method to analyse two of the construct elements used to engineer articular cartilage in real-time, native cartilage explants and an agarose biomaterial. Results indicated a similarity in wave propagation velocity ranges for both longitudinal (1500-1745 m/s) and transverse (350-950 m/s) waveforms. Future work will apply an acoustoelastic analysis to distinguish between the fluid and solid properties including the cell and matrix biokinetics as a validation of previous mathematical models.

Keywords: transmission wave elasticity; ultrasonic elasticity; acoustoelasticity; cartilage engineering; hydrogel biomaterials; cartilage biokinetics; biomedical engineering; bioengineering; ultrasonic wave propagation; hydrogel scaffolds; tissue engineering; extracellular matrix synthesis; chondrocyte; articular cartilage; native cartilage explants; agarose biomaterials; mathematical modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2012.050263

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2012 Vol.10 No.3, pp.296 - 307

Published online: 12 Dec 2014 *

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