Measurement method based on thermal analysis for the characterization of frozen and banked human bones

Abstract

The study reported in this paper is devoted to the characterization, by thermal analysis, of human bones stored at different temperatures. Two types of bone were used, the first healthy and the second one osteoarthritis. The results reported are referred to analysis of the DSC patterns and TG, DTG values of the specimens of femoral-head banked at -30 °C and -80 °C immediately after the surgical removal or washed with acetone and then stored. These treatments must be performed immediately after the surgery in order to prevent the degradation of the collagen protein, i.e. collagenases. The thermodynamic differences between the healthy and the pathological bones add to biological contraindication as to why the osteoarthritis bone cannot be utilized for allograft.