TY - JOUR
T1 - Multimodule imaging of the hierarchical equine hoof wall porosity and structure
AU - Mahrous, Mahmoud A.
AU - Chadha, Charul
AU - Robins, Pei L.
AU - Bonney, Christian
AU - Boateng, Kingsley A.
AU - Meyers, Marc
AU - Jasiuk, Iwona
N1 - The authors acknowledge the researchers at the Core facilities at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) for their assistance with micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM). The staff scientists of the Microscopy Suite at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are also acknowledged for their help in performing μ-CT imaging. The authors would also thank Dr. Ahmed Adel Hassan for developing the 3D visualization of the hierarchical structure of the hoof wall shown in Fig. 1 . Lastly, the authors gratefully acknowledge the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the support received under Grants No. MOMS-1926353 and 1926361.
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - The equine hoof wall has a complex, hierarchical structure that can inspire designs of impact-resistant materials. In this study, we utilized micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to image the microstructure and nanostructure of the hoof wall. We quantified the morphology of tubular medullary cavities by measuring equivalent diameter, surface area, volume, and sphericity. High-resolution μ-CT revealed that tubules are partially or fully filled with tissue near the exterior surface and become progressively empty towards the inner part of the hoof wall. Thin bridges were detected within the medullary cavity, starting in the middle section of the hoof wall and increasing in density and thickness towards the inner part. Porosity was measured using three-dimensional (3D) μ-CT, two-dimensional (2D) μ-CT, and a helium pycnometer. The highest porosity was obtained using the helium pycnometer (8.07%), followed by 3D (3.47%) and 2D (2.98%) μ-CT. SBF-SEM captured the 3D structure of the hoof wall at the nanoscale, showing that the tubule wall is not solid, but has nano-sized pores, which explains the higher porosity obtained using the helium pycnometer. The results of this investigation provide morphological information on the hoof wall for the future development of hoof-inspired materials and offer a novel perspective on how various measurement methods can influence the quantification of porosity.
AB - The equine hoof wall has a complex, hierarchical structure that can inspire designs of impact-resistant materials. In this study, we utilized micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to image the microstructure and nanostructure of the hoof wall. We quantified the morphology of tubular medullary cavities by measuring equivalent diameter, surface area, volume, and sphericity. High-resolution μ-CT revealed that tubules are partially or fully filled with tissue near the exterior surface and become progressively empty towards the inner part of the hoof wall. Thin bridges were detected within the medullary cavity, starting in the middle section of the hoof wall and increasing in density and thickness towards the inner part. Porosity was measured using three-dimensional (3D) μ-CT, two-dimensional (2D) μ-CT, and a helium pycnometer. The highest porosity was obtained using the helium pycnometer (8.07%), followed by 3D (3.47%) and 2D (2.98%) μ-CT. SBF-SEM captured the 3D structure of the hoof wall at the nanoscale, showing that the tubule wall is not solid, but has nano-sized pores, which explains the higher porosity obtained using the helium pycnometer. The results of this investigation provide morphological information on the hoof wall for the future development of hoof-inspired materials and offer a novel perspective on how various measurement methods can influence the quantification of porosity.
KW - Biological materials
KW - Hierarchical structure
KW - Micro-computed tomography (μ-CT)
KW - Porosity
KW - Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM)
KW - Tubules
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.08.246
DO - 10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.08.246
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85170414785
SN - 2238-7854
VL - 26
SP - 5535
EP - 5548
JO - Journal of Materials Research and Technology
JF - Journal of Materials Research and Technology
ER -