Effects of storage temperature on the mechanical properties of porcine kidney estimated using shear wave elastography

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different conservation techniques on the mechanical properties of the ex vivo porcine kidney in order to select an appropriate conservation protocol to use prior to mechanical testing. Five groups of eight kidneys each were subjected to different methods of conservation: storage at 4 °C, −18 °C, −34 °C and −71 °C, for 7 days, or storage at 20 °C for 2 days only (as the tissues degraded quickly). Their shear modulus as a function of depth in the organ was evaluated before (fresh) and after conservation using shear wave elastography. Results obtained on fresh kidneys were collected within 6 h of death. Freezing lead to a significant decrease (p<0.05) of the shear modulus in the most superficial zone (renal cortex), irrespectively of the freezing temperature (−18 °C, −34 °C, −71 °C). There were no significant change (p>0.05) in the properties of the renal cortex when stored at 4 °C or 20 °C. The average moduli in the central region of the kidney (medulla) were much higher than in the cortex and exhibited also exhibited larger specimen to specimen variations. The effects of the conservation method on the central region were not significant. Overall, the results suggest that kidney tissues should not be frozen prior to biomechanical characterization and that inhomogeneity may be important to consider for in biomechanical models.