title: Effects of gamma irradiation on mechanical properties of defatted trabecular bone allografts assessed by speed-of-sound measurement.
abstract: New sterilization methods for human bone allografts may lead to alterations in bone mechanical properties, which strongly influence short- and medium-term outcomes. In many sterilization procedures, bone allografts are subjected to gamma irradiation, usually with 25 KGy, after treatment and packaging. We used speed-of-sound (SOS) measurements to evaluate the effects of gamma irradiation on bone. All bone specimens were subjected to the same microbial inactivation procedure. They were then separated into three groups, of which one was treated and not irradiated and two were exposed to 10 and 25 KGy of gamma radiation, respectively. SOS was measured using high- and low-frequency ultrasound beams in each orthogonal direction. SOS and Young modulus were altered significantly in the three groups, compared to native untreated bone. Exposure to 10 or 25 KGy had no noticeable effect on the study variables. The impact of irradiation was small compared to the effects of physical or chemical defatting. Reducing the radiation dose used in everyday practice failed to improve graft mechanical properties in this study.
authors.affiliation: AP-HP, Orthopedic Surgery Department A, Bone Bank, Cochin Teaching Hospital, 27 rue du Faubourg St Jacques, 75014, Paris, France. laurent.vastel@cch.aphp.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vastel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Masse
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crozier
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laugier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bardonnet
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Courpied
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D004548:Elasticity / Q000528:radiation effects; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids