Image-Based Characterization and Multi-Scale Modeling of Bone

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该项目致力于多尺度表征和建模骨骼，重点是识别正常骨和骨化骨之间的差异。骨质疏松症是一种无症状的骨疾病，其特征在于骨密度低和骨结构恶化，导致骨脆性和骨折风险增加。结合实验和建模的方法将连接基于图像的表征技术（测量结构、组成和性质）和计算方法（使用力学、物理学和数学工具）以产生关于骨的特性的更完整的信息;方法也适用于其他生物和合成材料的分析。这项研究将促进对结构的理解，骨中的属性关系，并将导致骨质疏松症的早期诊断工具的发展。它也将有利于骨科领域，并将导致更好地了解骨折，植入物周围的应力，以及骨骼疾病对骨骼机械性能的影响。此外，本研究的结果将为仿生结构材料的设计提供指导。该项目还将作为学生的培训基地，并将导致生物材料建模课程。为了将这项研究的范围扩大到学术界之外，这项研究的结果所获得的图像将被整合到伊利诺伊大学的两个既定的教育推广计划中，Bugscope和虚拟显微镜项目，这些项目为K-16学童提供基于网络的扫描电子显微镜实时控制。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This project addresses multi-scale characterization and modeling bone, with a focus on identifying the differences between normal and osteoporotic bone. Osteoporosis is a silent bone disease which is characterized by low bone density and deterioration of bone structure resulting in bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. The combined experimental and modeling approaches will link the image-based characterization techniques (measuring structure, composition, and properties) and computational methods (using mechanics, physics and mathematics tools) to yield a more complete information on properties of bone; methods are applicable to the analysis of other biological and synthetic materials.This research will advance understanding of structure-property relations in bone and will lead to the development of tools for an early diagnosis of osteoporosis. It will also will benefit the field of orthopedics and will lead to a better understanding of bone fractures, stresses around implants, and the effects of bone diseases on mechanical properties of bone. In addition, the results of this research will give guidance on the design of bioinspired structural materials. This project will also serve as a training ground for students and will lead to a course on modeling of biological materials. To extend the reach of this research beyond academia, the images obtained as a result of this research will be integrated into the two established educational outreach programs at the University of Illinois, the Bugscope and the Virtual Microscope projects which provide real-time web-based control of a scanning electron microscope to K-16 school children natiowide.