Dietary Vitamin D Deficiency Disrupts Periodic Pattern of Growth Plate Mechanical Properties

B Dietary Vitamin D Deficiency Disrupts the Spatial Pattern of Growth Plate Mechanical Properties +Sevenler, D; Buckley, M; Kim, G; van der Meulen, MCH; Cohen, I; Bonassar, L; +Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca NY [email protected] INTRODUCTION Rickets is a debilitating disease caused by deficient mineralization at the growth plate during development due to dietary lack of vitamin D [1]. Vitamin D deficiency induces structural disorganization in the growth plate [2] that results in greatly diminished bone growth rates [3] and produces bone with inferior mechanical properties [4]. Studies have documented the tensile and compressive properties of the healthy growth plate [5] and the importance of shear deformation in growth plate mechanical failure [6]. We recently characterized heterogeneities in the shear properties of healthy growth plate [7]. However it is unknown whether vitamin D deficiency alters growth plate mechanical properties, particularly at the microscale. The goal of this study was to determine how differences in growth plate microstructure induced by vitamin D deficiency are manifested in the tissue microscale mechanical properties.