4D traction force microscopy reveals asymmetric cortical forces in migrating Dictyostelium cells.

We present a 4D (x; y; z; t) force map of Dictyostelium cells crawling on a soft gel substrate. Vertical forces are of the same order as the tangential ones. The cells pull the substratum upward along the cell, medium, or substratum contact line and push it downward under the cell except for the pseudopods. We demonstrate quantitatively that the variations in the asymmetry in cortical forces correlates with the variations of the direction and speed of cell displacement.

Deterioration mechanisms of joint prosthesis materials. Several solutions by ion implantation surface treatments.

Materials for orthopaedic implants can fail for several combined reasons: corrosion, fatigue and wear for metals, wear and creep for polymers, fracture for ceramics. Some typical cases are analysed and it is demonstrated that ion implantation improves metals and polymers used for joint prosthesis. Implantations of nitrogen, oxygen and argon ions modify the structure of a 2-500 nm thick layer in the materials. The results of friction tests on the couple metal-polymer are correlated with the surface properties.

Ion implantation effects on friction and wear of joint prosthesis materials.

The literature contains many results from in vitro friction and wear tests for simulating the behaviour of human joint prostheses. However, they are difficult to correlate, even when they are not contradictory. In friction tests, several friction-mechanisms occur when the Ti-6AI-4V titanium alloy rubs against the UHMWPE polyethylene. Corrosion effects which increase wear happen when the 316L stainless steel is used in Ringer's solution. Ion implantation surface treatments have been performed on these three materials. When the operating conditions were optimized, an important reduction of wear and corrosion was observed. The property improvements are due to structural modifications in a thin layer of the materials.

Practice of a testing bench to study the effects of cyclic stretching on osteoblast-orthopaedic ceramic interactions.

A new experimental method has been used to study the behaviour of human osteoblasts cultured on bioceramics subjected to mechanical strains. The ceramics were alumina, hydroxyapatite (HA) and a duplex system composed of hydroxyapatite-covered alumina. The system applied 400 microdeformations for a 6-h period with a cycle frequency of 0.5 Hz to osteoblasts growing on ceramic-covered disks. The effects of strains on short-term cell viability, cell growth, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and collagen biosynthesis were assessed. When possible, the parameters (lactate dehydrogenase) were studied along the experiment in samples of the culture medium, in the other cases by comparison of stretched and unstretched cultures on the same ceramics with the same cell line. In relationship with the coating, mechanical strains resulted in a decrease in DNA corresponding to cell number, an LDH release during straining, an unchanged (alumina) or decreased (HA and duplex) ALP activity, a decrease (HA and duplex) of collagen and total protein synthesis or an increase of it (alumina). The stress-producing device and its associated protocol are shown to be suitable for investigating the behaviour of cells, cultured on biomaterials subjected to mechanical strain.

[Wear characteristics of different metal-polyethylene beating surfaces. An experimental study of a new model of knee prosthesis]. / Caractéristiques d'usure de différents couples de frottement métal-polyéthylène. Etude expérimentale sur un nouveau modèle de prothèse de genou.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Wear of artificial components joint is the most important factor in long term durability. Only few studies have analysed in laboratory experimentation the quality of different alloys on the same type of prosthesis. MATERIAL: During the development of a new knee prosthesis, we studied the friction mechanisms of the metal/polyethylene (UHMWPE) couple and particularly the value of titanium alloy (Ti-6AI-4V) treatment using an ionic nitrogen implantation process (IMPLATEC). Two friction surfaces were studied in vitro: one in flexion-extension between femoral component and tibial plateau, the other in rotation between tibial plateau and "metal-back". METHODS: The implanted Ti-6AI-4V was compared with 316L stainless steel, cobalt chromium molybdenium alloy and with Ti-6AI-4V using a prosthesis of each configuration. The samples were tested on a TRIBOCUP friction machine during 3 x 10(6) cycles in Ringer 's solution. The friction couples were controlled every 200,000 cycles and the loss of polyethylene mass every 500,000 cycles. We have also evaluated the roughness and the rubbing surface macroscopically. RESULTS: The results analysis shows that friction couples such as Cobalt Chromium and implanted Ti-6AI-4V are weakest but implanted Ti-6AI-4V over time, tends to match the strength of Ti-6AI-4V without treatment. With implanted Ti-6AI-4V and with Cobalt Chromium alloy, the loss of polyethylene is slight comparatively to the stainless steel and non implanted Ti-6AI-4V. Surface analysis showed good protection of titanium alloy by ionic implantation especially in the femoral component where roughness is close (0.04 micron) to that of Cobalt Chromium alloy (0.07 micron). DISCUSSION: Our study confirms the results with pin-on-disk and cup-on-ball with results for the Ti-6AI-4V implanted and Cobalt Chromium alloys with protection of the metal surface and decrease of polyethylene wear comparatively to stainless steel and non implanted Ti-6AI-4V. CONCLUSION: Our conclusion is for this type of experimental device that the surface condition is satisfactory for such friction couples as implanted Ti-6AI-4V/polyethylene and Cobalt-chromium/polyethylene, with very similar results. However, the long-term durability of the nitrogen implanted on Titanium Alloy remains unknown.

Changes in the magnitude and distribution of forces at different Dictyostelium developmental stages.

The distribution of forces exerted by migrating Dictyostelium amebae at different developmental stages was measured using traction force microscopy. By using very soft polyacrylamide substrates with a high fluorescent bead density, we could measure stresses as small as 30 Pa. Remarkable differences exist both in term of the magnitude and distribution of forces in the course of development. In the vegetative state, cells present cyclic changes in term of speed and shape between an elongated form and a more rounded one. The forces are larger in this first state, especially when they are symmetrically distributed at the front and rear edge of the cell. Elongated vegetative cells can also present a front-rear asymmetric force distribution with the largest forces in the crescent-shaped rear of the cell (uropod). Pre-aggregating cells, once polarized, only present this last kind of asymmetric distribution with the largest forces in the uropod. Except for speed, no cycle is observed. Neither the force distribution of pre-aggregating cells nor their overall magnitude are modified during chemotaxis, the later being similar to the one of vegetative cells (F(0) approximately 6 nN). On the contrary, both the force distribution and overall magnitude is modified for the fast moving aggregating cells. In particular, these highly elongated cells exert lower forces (F(0) approximately 3 nN). The location of the largest forces in the various stages of the development is consistent with the myosin II localization described in the literature for Dictyostelium (Yumura et al.,1984. J Cell Biol 99:894-899) and is confirmed by preliminary experiments using a GFP-myosin Dictyostelium strain.

Interaction of a plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coating in contact with human osteoblasts and culture medium.

The loss of calcium from plasma-sprayed calcium phosphate ceramics (CPCs) on bioinert metal substrate (Ti-6Al-4V) immersed in cell culture medium with or without human osteoblast culture was measured. The ceramics were a CPC and a duplex system composed of a CPC layer on an alumina coating. The dissolution of calcium compounds was monitored by measuring the calcium leaked from the coatings into the culture medium in 15 days. Calcium was measured by flame photometry. The surfaces of the ceramics exposed to the culture medium and in contact with osteoblasts were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The dissolution process occurred in the first 6 days of contact, but the calcium released into the culture medium was only a small fraction of the calcium content of the coatings. The presence or absence of osteoblasts on the surface of the ceramics did not make significant difference for the calcium release. The XRD spectra of the ceramics before and after immersion and in contact with cells did not show a significant change in the compounds of the coatings.