Congratulations to Samantha Martin who defended her honors thesis!
Sam is the first undergraduate to successfully defend an honors thesis project from the Bailey Lab. In her thesis titled "Longitudinal Assessment of Ionizing Radiation on Vertebral Bone Properties" Sam analyzed the longitudinal changes in the architecture, composition, and mechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae of male Sprague-Dawley rats that had been irradiated with a single 15.5Gy dose. Results from micro-computed tomography images showed decreased bone mineral density, bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, and trabecular number which was associated with increased trabecular spacing. Mechanical testing demonstrated a linear relationship between loss of bone architecture and lower stiffness and maximum load. Additionally, the accumulation of collagen crosslinks measured as advanced glycation end-products in the extracellular matrix were increased post-radiation exposure, potentially aiding in the reduction of mechanical performance.
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