Comparative Evaluation of Compression Testing Methods for Murine Lumbar Vertebral Bodies: Identifying Most Reliable and Reproducible Techniques for Assessing Compressive Strength

This study evaluates four compression testing methods to determine the most reliable and reproducible technique for assessing the compression strength of murine lumbar vertebral bodies. Twenty female C57BL/6 mice (12 weeks old) were randomized into four groups: Group 1, compression of the complete lumbar vertebral body (LVB) with dorsal spinal processes; Group 2, compression at the vertebral body surface; Group 3, compression at the vertebral body surface after vertebral arch resection; Group 4, resection of the vertebral arch with straightening of the intervertebral joint surface. A mono-axial static testing machine applied compression, measuring load to failure, stiffness, yield load, and elasticity modulus. Method 1 resulted in significantly higher load-to-failure and yield-to-failure (25.9 N compared to 18.2 N, and twice 12 N for Methods 2–4), with the least variation in relative values. Method 3 had increased stiffness and a significantly higher Young’s modulus (232 N/mm, in contrast to 101, 130, and 145 N/mm for Methods 1, 2, and 4, respectively) but yielded inconsistent results. Method 4 showed the greatest variability across specimens. Method 2 yields suitable data quality as well, albeit with a slightly higher variation, and is the recommended procedure if the spinal processes have to be excluded from the measurement. Based on these findings, Method 1 produced the most consistent and reproducible data and is recommended for future studies evaluating vertebral biomechanics in mice.