Experimental and Numerical simulation of mechanical actuators coated with PMMA ...

• Author(s): Frias, Clara ; Reis, Joana ; Capela e Silva, Fernando ; Potes, José ; Torres Marques, António ; Simões, José António
• Date: 2009
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10174/2464
• Origin: Repositório Científico da Universidade de Évora
• Subject(s): Polymeric piezoelectric; mechanical stimulation; actuator; osteoblast cells
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

Bone mass distribution and structure are dependent on mechanical stress and adaptive response at cellular and tissue levels. Mechanical stimulation of bone induces new bone formation in vivo and increases the metabolic activity and gene expression of osteoblasts in culture. The aim of this work was to experimentally validate the possibility of using piezoelectric materials as a mean of stimulating mechanically bone cells by converse piezoelectric effect.