Dynamic mechanical testing system for Raman microscopy of bone tissue specimens

Existing dynamic mechanical testing systems are not well-suited for Raman spectroscopic study of the response of bone tissue chemical structure to mechanical loading. This paper describes design and validation of a testing system for this application. The body of the apparatus is waterproof and is closed to allow passive maintenance of tissue hydration. Specialized specimen grips for tension/compression and for bending studies are described. The system is shown to provide reproducible data on test specimens of murine femora and radii. Stability against unstable grips and long term (12 h) stability against dehydration artifacts are demonstrated.