skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Search for: All records

Creators/Authors contains: "Kang, Rongyao"

Note: When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
What is a DOI Number?

Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site.

  1. Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a significant health issue that can lead to severe complications. Recent research has highlighted the close relationship between disc degeneration and the biomechanical properties of the IVD. This study introduces an innovative approach—magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) elastography of the human IVD—using an explicit inverse solver to identify the non-homogeneous shear modulus map of the IVD. The key advantage of this explicit solver is its streamlined optimization process, focusing only on the shear moduli of the nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF), and their interface. This approach reduces the optimization variables, making it more efficient than traditional pixel-based approaches. To validate this method, we conducted a plane strain numerical example, observing a consistent underestimation of the AF/NP shear modulus ratio by a scaling factor of approximately 1.5. Further investigations included comprehensive sensitivity analyses to various noise levels, revealing that the proposed method accurately characterizes shear modulus distribution in the AF and NP regions, with a maximum relative error of the AF/NP shear modulus ratio remaining below 8%. In addition, applying this approach to real human IVDs underin vitrocompression or bending, demonstrated its effectiveness, yielding an AF/NP shear modulus ratio within a reasonable range of 6–15. In summary, the proposed method offers a promising direction for MRI elastography of the human IVD. 
    more » « less
    Free, publicly-accessible full text available June 1, 2026