title: γ-Irradiation sterilized bone strengthened and toughened by ribose pre-treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tested the hypothesis that a ribose-based pre-treatment would protect the strength, ductility and toughness of γ-irradiation sterilized cortical bone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiment 1: The effects of ribose pre-treatment (1.8M in PBS at 60°C for 24h) prior to 33 kGy of irradiation on strength, ductility and toughness (beams in three-point bending) and fracture toughness (J-integral at instability in single edge notched (bending)) were tested against matched non-irradiated and irradiated controls from bovine tibiae. Experiment 2: Three-point bending tests were conducted using beams from human femora (males, 59-67 years). Bone collagen thermal stability and network connectivity were examined using hydrothermal isometric tension testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ribose pre-treatment protected the strength, ductility and toughness of irradiation sterilized bovine and human specimens to differing degrees. Their ultimate strength was not detectably different from non-irradiated control levels; toughness in bovine and human specimens was protected by 57 and 76%, respectively. Untreated human bone was less affected by irradiation and ribose pre-treatment was more effective in human bone than bovine bone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper presents the first proof-of-principle that irradiation-sterilized bone with improved mechanical properties can be produced through the application of a ribose pre-irradiation treatment, which provides a more stable and connected collagen network than found in conventionally irradiated controls.
authors: Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Hospital-Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: willett@lunenfeld.ca.
authors: Thomas L
authors: TL
authors: Willett
authors: Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Hospital-Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Brianne
authors: B
authors: Burton
authors: Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Hospital-Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Mitchell
authors: M
authors: Woodside
authors: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Zhirui
authors: Z
authors: Wang
authors: Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Hospital-Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Gaspar
authors: Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory, Mount Sinai Hospital-Lunenfeld Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Tarik
authors: T
authors: Attia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005269:Femur / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007867:Leg Bones / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008875:Middle Aged; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012266:Ribose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013242:Sterilization; D013977:Tibia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D012266:Ribose; D003094:Collagen
keywords: Bone; Collagen; Ribose; Strength; Toughness; γ-Irradiation sterilization