Abstract
We measured the morphology of and performed tensile tests on sagittal sutures from rats of postnatal age 2 to 60 days. Using the properties measured ex vivo and a pressure vessel-based analysis, we estimated the quasi-static strain that had existed in the suture in vivo from 2 to 60 days. Sutural thickness, width, and stiffness per length were notable properties found to be age dependent. Sutural thickness increased 4.5-fold (0.11-0.50 mm) between 2 and 60 days. Sutural width increased transiently between 2 and 20 days, peaking around 8 days; at 8 days, mean sutural width was 75% larger than mean sutural width at two days (0.35±0.07 (SD) vs. 0.20±0.06 mm). Sutural stiffness per length increased 4.4-fold (8.77-38.3 N/mm/mm) between 2 and 60 days. The quasi-static sutural strain estimated to exist in vivo averaged 270±190 με between 2 and 60 days and was not age dependent. These findings provide data on the age-dependent sutural properties of infant to mature rats and provide the first estimate of quasi-static sutural strain in vivo in the rat. The findings show that during development the rat sagittal suture, as a structure, changes significantly and is exposed to quasi-static tensile strain in vivo due to intracranial pressure.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2294-2301 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Biomechanics |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cranial growth
- Cranial sutures
- Material properties
- Mechanical properties
- Sutural geometry
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Rehabilitation
- Biomedical Engineering
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine