In vivo strain analysis of the greyhound femoral diaphysis.

Subminiature single element and rosette strain gauges used for deformation measurement were prepared for surgical implantation using a technique published previously (Szivek JA, Magee FP. J Invest Surg. 1989;2:195-206). During surgery, gauges were placed on the anterior, lateral, and medial aspects of the mid-diaphysis of one femur in six greyhounds. Motion and gait analyses were performed to ensure uniform weight bearing prior to strain monitoring. In vivo strain measurements were obtained during normal gait at several speeds on a treadmill. After a 3-month holding period, strain gauges that were implanted on the contralateral femur were monitored. All animals were euthanized and both their femora explanted. Following embedding and histological preparation of the explanted femora, strain measurements were plotted on diagrams of the section shapes of the mid-diaphysis of each femur. Strain distribution diagrams indicated that peak strain levels and strain distributions changed during different phases of gait. Increases in gait speed increased the peak strain levels. In addition, the anterior rather than anterior-lateral aspect of the femur exhibited the highest strain during midstance. Measurements taken from rosette gauges indicated that the principal compressive strain direction was oriented slightly off axis to the long axis of the femur. Measurements from gauges placed along the length of the femur indicated an average strain change of 22.3 microstrain +/- 12.2% over a 2-cm length in the mid-diaphysis. These measurements provide a baseline describing the strain state of the greyhound femur and can be used in computer modeling.