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. 2022 Mar 9;21(3):755–770. doi: 10.1007/s10237-022-01566-5

Table 1.

The table summarizes the information retrieved from previous studies on the biomechanical properties of the human dura mater

Authors Sample/cadaver number Cranial/spinal Mean age (range) [years] Females:males Left-to-right ratio PMI (range) [hours] Sample storage and treatment Test in fluid or air and temperature Retrieval region of tested samples Gauge length × width Optical data analysis Vascular/avascular areas of dura mater Testing speed [mm/min] Sample orientation Assumption whether dura is isotropic/anisotropic Testing mode Emod [MPa] UTS [MPa] SFmax [%]
(Zwirner et al. 2020) 124/75 Cranial 50 ± 24 (3 weeks to 94 years) 26:49 44:80

71 ± 31

Range 11 to 146

Fresh, stored at − 80 °C, gradually defrosted, water content adjusted over 24 h at 4 °C Air (22 °C) Temporal 10 × 5 N Avascular 20 Macroscopically visible collagen bundles of surface layer orientated along load application axis in shaft area Anisotropic UTT 50 ± 22a 6 ± 4a 17 ± 4a
(Zwirner et al. 2019c) 117/73 Cranial 50 (2–94) 25:48 58:59

74 ± 30

Range 11–139

Fresh, stored at − 80 °C, gradually defrosted, water content adjusted over 24 h at 4 °C Air (“room temperature”) Temporal 10 × 5 Y Avascular 20 Longitudinala Anisotropic UTT 70 ± 44 7 ± 4 11 ± 3
(Kizmazoglu et al. 2019) 10/10 Cranial 43 ± 9 (31–54) 6:4 0:10 NS

Fresh,

frozen at − 4 °C for 24–120 h before testing, thawed 6 h before testing

Artificial cerebrospinal fluid (37 °C) Frontal 20 × 8 N NSb 10 NS Isotropic UTT 60 ± 11 7 ± 1 NS
(Zwirner et al. 2019b) 12/6 Cranial 82 ± 8 3:3 6:6 NS Thiel-embalmed Air (22 °C) Temporal 10 × 5 Y Avascular 20 Longitudinala Anisotropica UTT 118 ± 68 9 ± 5 9 ± 2
12/8a Cranial 81 ± 8 3:5a 6:6 NS Fresh, stored at − 80 °C, gradually defrosted, water content adjusted over 24 h at 4 °C Air (22 °C) Temporal 10 × 5 Y Avascular 20 Longitudinala Anisotropica UTT 60 ± 14 6 ± 1 11 ± 2
(Aydin et al. 2019) 7/7 Cranial 45 ± 12 (31–62) 4:3 NSc NS Fresh, stored at − 20 °C, thawed at 4 °C for 24 h and 20–25 for 6 h Saline solution (37 °C) Frontal 20 × 8 N NSb 10 NS Isotropic UTT 78 ± 41 8 ± 3 NS
(Zwirner et al. 2019a) 18/18 Cranial 48 (12–83) 6:12 10:8a 71 ± 28 (14–121) Acellularized with sodiumdodecylsulfate Air (“room temperature”) Temporal 10 × 5 Y Avascular 20 Longitudinala Anisotropica UTT 36 ± 12 4 ± 1 13 ± 2
18/18 Cranial 48 (12–83) 6:12 10:8a 71 ± 28 (14–121) Fresh, stored at − 80 °C, gradually defrosted, water content adjusted over 24 h at 4 °C Air (“room temperature”) Temporal 10 × 5 Y Avascular 20 Longitudinala Anisotropica UTT 74 ± 26 7 ± 2 11 ± 2
(Runza et al. 1999) 6/6 Spinal 59 (39–86) 3:3 NS NS Fresh, in regular saline for less than 2 h Air with 60% relative humidity (20 °C) Dorsal lumbar (T-12-L5) 20 × 4 N NS 10 Longitudinal NS UTT 83d 15d 41d
6/6 Spinal 59 (39–86) 3:3 NS NS Drye Air with 60% relative humidity (20 °C) Dorsal lumbar (T-12-L5) 20 × 4 N NS 10 Longitudinal NS UTT 39d 7d 36d
6/6 Spinal 59 (39–86) 3:3 NS NS Frozen for 24 h at − 4 °C Air with 60% relative humidity (20 °C) Dorsal lumbar (T-12-L5) 20 × 4 N NS 10 Longitudinal NS UTT 82d 14d 27d
6/6 Spinal 59 (39–86) 3:3 NS NS Frozen for 120 h at − 4 °C Air with 60% relative humidity (20 °C) Dorsal lumbar (T-12-L5) 20 × 4 N NS 10 Longitudinal NS UTT 94d 14d 30d
6/6 Spinal 59 (39–86) 3:3 NS NS Fresh, in regular saline for less than 2 h Air with 60% relative humidity (20 °C) Dorsal lumbar (T-12-L5) 20 × 4 N NS 10 Perpendicular to longitudinal NS UTT 5d 4d 48d
(Sacks et al. 1998) 11/5 Cranial 54 ± 22 NS NS NS Fresh, placed in saline then frozen with liquid nitrogen Saline solution (“room temperature”) NS 10 × 2f Y NS 10 Longitudinal Anisotropic UTT 193 ± 24 13 ± 2 13 ± 1
12/5 Cranial 54 ± 22 NS NS NS Fresh, placed in saline then frozen with liquid nitrogen Saline solution (“room temperature”) NS 10 × 2f Y NS 10 Perpendicular to longitudinal Anisotropic UTT 73 ± 11 5 ± 1 16 ± 2
(Zarzur 1996) 3/3 Spinal 56 ± 19 (38–73) 0:3 NS NS Preserved in formalin for 72 h NS Dorsal lumbar 20 × 20f N NS 20 Perpendicular to longitudinal NS UTT 19 ± 9 NS 45 ± 12
3/3 Spinal 56 ± 19 (38–73) 0:3 NS NS Preserved in formalin for 72 h NS Dorsal lumbar 20 × 20f N NS 20 Longitudinal NS UTT 120 ± 45 NS 40 ± 12
(Wolfinbarger et al. 1994) 95/8 Cranial 40 ± 4 (17–51) 1:7 NS NS Fresh, freeze-dried; rehydrated under vacuum in physiological saline solution for 1 h “Room temperature under consistent high humidity” (stored “on ice” for up to 3 h prior to testing) “randomly cut” from entire dura samples 50 × 10f N NS 8 Longitudinal and perpendicular to longitudinal were included in the same evaluation Isotropic UTT 70 ± 4 7 ± 0 0.2 ± 0
(Patin et al. 1993) 7/7 Spinal 34 ± 25 (15 days to 62 years) 3:4 NA NS Fresh NS Dorsal lumbar 15 × 10f N NS 100 Longitudinal NS UTT NS 81 ± 22 NS
7/7 Spinal 34 ± 25 (15 days to 62 years) 3:4 NA NS Fresh NS Dorsal lumbar 15 × 10f N NS 100 Perpendicular to longitudinal NS UTT NS 15 ± 22 NS
(McGarvey et al. 1984) 28/13 Cranial 52 (17–72) 3:10 NS NS Fresh, stored in Hanks balanced salt solution, tested within 20 h of autopsy Tested in Hanks balanced salt solution (37 °C) NS 10 × 7f N NS 10 Longitudinal and perpendicular to longitudinal were grouped in evaluation Isotropic UTT 62 ± 10 9 ± 2 32 ± 2
26/13 Cranial 52 (17–72) 3:10 NS NS 98% glycerol 13 days–7 weeks Tested in Hanks solution (37 °C) NS 10 × 7f N NS 10 Longitudinal and perpendicular to longitudinal were grouped in evaluation Isotropic UTT 45 ± 3 6 ± 1 25 ± 1
(van Noort et al. 1981) 12f Cranial 20–77 NS (“from both male and female cadavers”) NS Up to 12 Fresh, put into saline solution for up to 5 h NS NS 40 × 5f N Avascular 50 “No particular orientation was chosen” Isotropic UTT 29 ± 8g 5 ± 1g 18 ± 1g
12f Cranial 20–77 NS (“from both male and female cadavers”) NS Up to 12 Put into saline solution for up to 5 h, 98% glycerol for 1–12 days NS NS 40 × 5f N Avascular 50 “No particular orientation was chosen” Isotropic UTT 30 ± 8g 5 ± 1g 18 ± 2g
(Tencer et al. 1985) 5 (cadaver number not specified) Spinal Up to 65 NS NA NS Fresh, stored at − 20 °C NS Cervical, low and high thoracic, anterior and posterior lumbar region 38.1 × 2.5 N NS NS Longitudinal NS UTT 151h 28 34
(Melvin et al. 1970) Over 100 (cadaver number not specified)i Cranial NS NS NS NS Fresh, refrigerated in saline solution if not tested immediately NS NS 19.1 × 6.4 N “Relatively free from large blood vessels” 2.28 Longitudinal, perpendicular to longitudinal and diagonal (included in evaluation together) NS UTT 48j NS NS
(Yamada et al. 1997) 15/15 Cranial 31 ± 21 (3–62) NS NS NS NS Sprayed with normal saline during test (“room temperature”) NS 10 × 5f N NS 50 NS NS UTT 3 ± 1 9 ± 2 NS
(Galford and McElhaney 1970) 11/2 Cranial NS NS NS 6–12 Fresh, kept moist (fluid not explicitly specified) Kept moist (fluid not explicitly specified) NS 2.5 × 6.4f N NS NS NS NS Tensile-free vibration test (21 Hz) 31.5 NS NS

NS not stated, UTT ultimate tensile test

aInformation provided by the authors upon request; bVessels present in manuscript figures; cStated that both left and right samples were used; dValues were calculated by averaging the minima and maxima that were read from Fig. 2; eNot specified how samples were dried; f“Gauge” not explicitly stated, not stated that samples were cut into dumbbell shape, values indicate grip-to-grip length; gAveraged from data presented in this Table; hAverage of cervical and lumbar value; iUp to 11 samples were cut per dura mater; jAverage of range presented in study