David Berry

• Ph.D.
• Research Scientist at University of California, San Diego

There is a clinical need for an effective nerve guidance conduit to treat peripheral nerve injuries. Many studies have explored different materials and active cues to guide neural regeneration, with some success. However, none have demonstrated a comparable or better functional recovery than the clinical standard autograft. Autografts are often ins...

The purpose of this exploratory study was to quantify the relationship between scalar‐based measures of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and histologically derived microstructural measurements in precisely colocalized rat rotator cuff muscle tissue and to compare the results when imaged at 0.25‐ and 0.5‐mm isotropic resolutions. Four Lewis rats subje...

Background The supraspinatus is most frequently involved in rotator cuff tears, a common orthopaedic condition. However, the architecture of this muscle has been described only for the superficial, anterior, and posterior regions. Purpose To determine the muscle architecture of the deep supraspinatus. Study Design Descriptive laboratory study. M...

In the face of escalating threats posed by human-induced climate change, urgent attention to coral reef restoration is imperative due to ongoing reef degradation. Here, we explored the potential of generating coral micropropagates as a tool to rapidly generate coral tissue for reef restoration and reef engineering. We developed a hypersalinity-indu...

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can be used to assess microstructural features of skeletal muscle that are related to tissue function. Although widely used, direct correlations between DTI derived metrics such as fractional anisotropy and spatially matched tissue microstructure assessed with histo...

In the face of escalating threats posed by human-induced climate change, urgent attention to coral reef restoration is imperative due to ongoing reef degradation. Here, we explored the potential of generating coral micropropagates as a tool to rapidly generate coral tissue for reef restoration and reef engineering. We developed a hypersalinity-indu...

Skeletal muscle has a classic structure function relationship; both skeletal muscle microstructure and architecture are directly related to force generating capacity. Biopsy, the gold standard for evaluating muscle microstructure, is highly invasive, destructive to muscle, and provides only a small amount of information about the entire volume of a...

Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI provides insight into tissue diffusion and perfusion. Here, estimates of perfusion fraction (f), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and diffusion coefficient (D) obtained via different fitting methods are compared to ascertain (1) the optimal analysis strategy for muscles of the lumbar spine and (2) repeatabi...

Glioma, with its heterogeneous microenvironments and genetic subtypes, presents substantial challenges for treatment prediction and development. We integrated 3D bioprinting and multi-algorithm machine learning as a novel approach to enhance the assessment and understanding of glioma treatment responses and microenvironment characteristics. The bio...

Tendon disease ranks among the leading reasons patients consult their general practitioners, comprising approximately one-third of musculoskeletal appointments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is regarded as the gold standard for assessing tendons. Due to their short transverse relaxation time (T2), Tendons show up as a signal void in conventional...

Citation: Rajabzadeh-Oghaz, H.; Kumar, V.; Berry, D.B.; Singh, A.; Schoch, B.S.; Aibinder, W.R.; Gobbato, B.; Polakovic, S.; Elwell, J.; Roche, C.P. Impact of Deltoid Computer Tomography Image Data on the Accuracy of Machine Learning Predictions of Clinical Outcomes after Anatomic and Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty. Abstract: Background: Despi...

The myotendinous junction (MTJ) facilitates force transmission between muscle and tendon to produce joint movement. The complex microarchitecture and regional mechanical heterogeneity of myotendinous junction poses a major challenge in...

Fixing palmar ulnar corner fragments of distal radial fractures can be challenging. We described the palmar ulnar corner fragment morphology in a retrospective cohort study of 40 patients who underwent preoperative wrist computed tomography scans. Palmar ulnar corner fractures were categorized based on articular cross-sectional area, sagittal angul...

Background Lumbar spine pathology (LSP) is a common source of low back or leg pain, and paraspinal muscle in these patients demonstrates fatty and fibrotic infiltration, and cellular degeneration that do not reverse with exercise-based rehabilitation. However, it is unclear of this lack of response is due to insufficient exercise stimulus, or an i...

The ability to precisely control a scaffold's microstructure and geometry with light-based 3D printing has been widely demonstrated. However, the modulation of scaffold's mechanical properties through prescribed printing parameters is still underexplored. This study demonstrates a novel 3D-printing workflow to create a complex, elastomeric scaffold...

Purpose Preliminary study to determine whether double pulsed field gradient (PFG) diffusion MRI is sensitive to key features of muscle microstructure related to function. Methods The restricted diffusion profile of molecules in models of muscle microstructure derived from histology were systematically simulated using a numerical simulation approac...

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques have emerged as the most popular methods to fabricate 3D-engineered tissues; however, there are challenges in simultaneously satisfying the requirements of high cell density (HCD), high cell viability, and fine fabrication resolution. In particular, bioprinting resolution of digital light processing-bas...

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) injuries due to trauma, tumor ablation, or other degenerative muscle diseases are debilitating and currently have limited options for self-repair. Advancements in 3D printing allow for the rapid fabrication of biocompatible scaffolds with designer patterns. However, the materials chosen are often stiff or brittle, which...

This study investigated body composition measures in highly trained and untrained individuals using whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Additionally, correlations between these measures and skeletal muscle gene expression were performed. Thirty‐six individuals were included: endurance‐trained males (ME, n = 8) and females (FE, n = 7), stre...

The coral‐algal symbiosis is the biological engine that drives one of the most spectacular structures on Earth: the coral reef. Here, living coral microhabitats are engineered using 3D bioprinting, as biomimetic model system of the coral‐algal symbiosis. Various bioinks for the encapsulation of coral photosymbiotic microalgae (Breviolum psygmophilu...

Background Quantification of the magnitude and spatial distribution of muscle blood flow changes following exercise may improve our understanding of the effectiveness of various exercise prescriptions. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that quantifies molecular diffusion and microvascular blood flow...

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is emerging as a promising technology for fabricating complex tissue constructs with tailored biological components and properties. Recent advances have enabled scientists to precisely position materials and cells to build functional tissue models for in vitro drug screening and disease modeling. This review prese...

Exercises to strengthen and stabilize the trunk musculature are a common conservative treatment strategy for low back pain (LBP), despite the possible presence of impairments in muscle activation in this population. Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI permits evaluation of activation‐induced blood flow through diffusion‐weighted images that are...

PurposeIn a sex-inclusive cohort of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): (1) assess the relationship between 3D curve severity, curve flexibility, and paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration, and (2) describe three-dimensional (3D) fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles.Methods Fat signal fraction of the paravertebral muscles was...

Purpose Evaluate the relationship between muscle microstructure, diffusion time (Δ), and the diffusion tensor (DT) to identify the optimal Δ where changes in muscle fiber size may be detected. Methods The DT was simulated in models with histology informed geometry over a range of Δ with a stimulated echo DT imaging (DTI) sequence using the numeric...

Background Due to its unique arrangement, the deep and superficial fibers of the multifidus may have differential roles for maintaining spine stabilization and lumbar posture; the superficial multifidus is responsible for lumbar extension and the deep multifidus for intersegmental stability. In patients with chronic lumbar spine pathology, muscle a...

Advancement of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) strategies to replicate tissue structure and function has led to the need for noninvasive assessment of key outcome measures of a constructs state, biocompatibility, and function. Histology based approaches are traditionally used in pre-clinical animal experiments, but are not alway...

Background: Due to its unique arrangement, the deep and superficial fibers of the multifidus may have differential roles for maintaining spine stabilization and lumbar posture; the superficial multifidus is responsible for lumbar extension and the deep multifidus for intersegmental stability. In patients with chronic lumbar spine pathology, muscle...

Background: Due to its unique arrangement, the deep and superficial fibers of the multifidus may have differential roles for maintaining spine stabilization and lumbar posture; the superficial multifidus is responsible for lumbar extension and the deep multifidus for intersegmental stability. In patients with chronic lumbar spine pathology, muscle...

The majority of 3D‐printed biodegradable biomaterials are brittle, limiting their application to compliant tissues. Poly(glycerol sebacate) acrylate (PGSA) is a synthetic biocompatible elastomer and compatible with light‐based 3D printing. In this article, digital‐light‐processing (DLP)‐based 3D printing is employed to create a complex PGSA network...

Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic tool that can be used to noninvasively assess lumbar muscle size and fatty infiltration, important biomarkers of muscle health. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an MRI technique that is sensitive to muscle microstructural features such as fiber size (an important biomarker of muscle health)...

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as an attractive new technology to fabricate complex tissue models by the precise positioning of biomaterials, biochemicals, and cells in space. In particular, 3D bioprinting carries the advantage of being able to fabricate structures on the order of tens of nanometers to centimeters in scale, consisti...

Growth factors (GFs) are critical components in governing cell fate during tissue regeneration. Their controlled delivery is challenging due to rapid turnover rates in vivo. Functionalized hydrogels, such as heparin‐based hydrogels, have demonstrated great potential in regulating GF release. While the retention effects of various concentrations and...

Background: Muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration of the lumbar extensors is associated with LBP. Exercise-based rehabilitation targets strengthening these muscles, but few studies show consistent changes in muscle quality with standard-of-care rehabilitation. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of high-intensity resistance exercise on...

Military members are required to carry heavy loads frequently during training and active duty combat. We investigated if operationally relevant axial loads affect lumbar disc kinematics in forty‐one male active duty Marines with no previous clinically diagnosed pathology. Marines were imaged standing upright with and without load. From T2‐weighted...

Understanding changes in lumbar spine (LS)angles and intervertebral disc (IVD)behavior in end-range positions in healthy subjects can provide a basis for developing more specific LS models and comparing people with spine pathology. The purposes of this study are to quantify 3D LS angles and changes in IVD characteristics with end-range positions in...

Background The relationship between lumbar spine posture and muscle structure is not well understood. Objectives To investigate the predictive capacity of muscle structure on lumbar spine posture in active-duty Marines. Methods Forty-three Marines were scanned in this cross-sectional study, using an upright magnetic resonance imaging scanner whil...

Abstract Background Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is commonly used to assess the health of the lumbar spine and supporting structures. Studies have suggested that fatty infiltration of the posterior lumbar muscles is important in predicting responses to treatment for low back pain. However, methodological differences exist in defining the region...

Purpose: To establish a series of relationships defining how muscle microstructure and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are related. Methods: The relationship among key microstructural features of skeletal muscle (fiber size, fibrosis, edema, and permeability) and the diffusion tensor were systematically simulated over physiologically relevant dim...

The ability to noninvasively assess skeletal muscle microstructure, which predicts function and disease, would be of significant clinical value. One method that holds this promise is diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI), which is sensitive to the microscopic diffusion of water within tissues and has become ubiquitous in neuroimaging...

Low back pain has a 70% higher prevalence in members of the armed forces than in the general population, possibly due to the loads and positions soldiers experience during training and combat. Although the influence of heavy load carriage on standing lumbar spine posture in this population is known, postures in other operationally relevant position...

Military training aims to improve load carriage performance and reduce risk of injuries. Data describing the lumbar spine (LS) postural response to load carriage throughout training are limited. We hypothesized that training would reduce the LS postural response to load. The LS posture of 27 Marines was measured from upright MR images: with and wit...

Study design: Retrospective chart analysis of 199 individuals aged 18 to 80 years scheduled for lumbar spine surgery. Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and fat signal fraction (FSF) with age in men and women with lumbar spine pathology and compare them to published normative data....

Vertebral level-dependent, angular and linear translations of the spine have been measured in 2D and 3D using several imaging methods to quantify postural changes due to loading conditions and tasks. Here, we propose and validate a semi-automated method for measuring lumbar intervertebral angles and translations from upright MRI images using an end...

Intra- and inter- specimen variations in trabecular anisotropy are often ignored in quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based finite element (FE) models of the vertebra. The material properties are typically estimated solely from local variations in BMD, and a fixed representation of elastic anisotropy (a "generic-anisotropic" model) is assumed....

Quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based finite element (FE) models provide better predictions of vertebral strength compared to traditional methods currently used in clinical diagnosis [1]. In QCT-based FE models, the intra- and inter-specimen variations in trabecular anisotropy are often ignored, despite evidence that the biomechanical behavi...