Sample size considerations in soft tissue biomechanics

Hammer, N.; Ondruschka, B.; Berghold, A.; Kuenzer, T.; Pregartner, G.; Scholze, M.; Schulze-Tanzil, G. G.; Zwirner, J.

doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2023.07.036

Sample size considerations in soft tissue biomechanics (bibtex)

by N. Hammer, B. Ondruschka, A. Berghold, T. Kuenzer, G. Pregartner, M. Scholze, G. G. Schulze-Tanzil, J. Zwirner

Abstract:

Biomechanical experiments help link tissue morphology with load-deformation characteristics. A tissue-dependent minimum sample number is indispensable to obtain accurate material properties. Stress-strain properties were retrieved from human dura mater and scalp skin, exemplifying two distinct soft tissues. Minimum sample sizes necessary for a stable estimation of material properties were obtained in a simulation study. One-thousand random samples were sequentially drawn for calculating the point at which a majority of the estimators settled within a corridor of stability at given tolerance levels around a ‘complete’ reference for the mean, median and coefficient of variation. Stable estimations of means and medians can be achieved below sample sizes of 30 at a ± 20%-tolerance within 80%-conformity for scalp skin and dura. Lower tolerance levels or higher conformity dramatically increase the required sample size. Conformity was barely ever reached for the coefficient of variation. The parameter type appears decisive for achieving conformity.

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Reference:

Hammer, N., Ondruschka, B., Berghold, A., Kuenzer, T., Pregartner, G., Scholze, M., Schulze-Tanzil, G. G., Zwirner, J.: Sample size considerations in soft tissue biomechanics, Acta Biomaterialia 169, 168-178, 2023.

Bibtex Entry:

@Article{Hammer_2023a,
  author    = {Hammer, N. and Ondruschka, B. and Berghold, A. and Kuenzer, T. and Pregartner, G. and Scholze, M. and Schulze-Tanzil, G. G. and Zwirner, J.},
  journal   = {Acta Biomaterialia},
  title     = {Sample size considerations in soft tissue biomechanics},
  year      = {2023},
  month     = oct,
  pages     = {168-178},
  volume    = {169},
  abstract  = {Biomechanical experiments help link tissue morphology with load-deformation characteristics. A tissue-dependent minimum sample number is indispensable to obtain accurate material properties. Stress-strain properties were retrieved from human dura mater and scalp skin, exemplifying two distinct soft tissues. Minimum sample sizes necessary for a stable estimation of material properties were obtained in a simulation study. One-thousand random samples were sequentially drawn for calculating the point at which a majority of the estimators settled within a corridor of stability at given tolerance levels around a ‘complete’ reference for the mean, median and coefficient of variation. Stable estimations of means and medians can be achieved below sample sizes of 30 at a ± 20%-tolerance within 80%-conformity for scalp skin and dura. Lower tolerance levels or higher conformity dramatically increase the required sample size. Conformity was barely ever reached for the coefficient of variation. The parameter type appears decisive for achieving conformity.},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.actbio.2023.07.036},
  publisher = {Elsevier {BV}},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2023.07.036},
}