On the Poisson's Ratio of the Nucleus Pulposus

Existing experimental data on the Poisson's ratio of nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue is limited. This study aims to determine whether the Poisson's ratio of NP tissue is strain-dependent, strain-rate-dependent, or varies with axial location in the disk. Thirty-two cylindrical plugs of bovine tail NP tissue were subjected to ramp-hold unconfined compression to 20% axial strain in 5% increments, at either 30 mu m/s or 0.3 mu m/s ramp speeds and the radial displacement determined using biaxial video extensometry. Following radial recoil, the true Poisson's ratio of the solid phase of NP tissue increased linearly with increasing strain and demonstrated strain-rate dependency. The latter finding suggests that the solid matrix undergoes stress relaxation during the test. For small strains, we suggest a Poisson's ratio of 0.125 to be used in biphasic models of the intervertebral disk.