Response Of Trabecular Bone Research Articles

Elastic response of trabecular bone under compression calculated using the firm and floppy boundary lattice element method

Micro-Finite Element analysis (μFEA) has become widely used in biomechanical research as a reliable tool for the prediction of bone mechanical properties within its microstructure such as apparent elastic modulus and strength. However, this method requires substantial computational resources and processing time. Here, we propose a computationally efficient alternative to FEA that can provide an accurate estimation of bone trabecular mechanical properties in a fast and quantitative way. A lattice element method (LEM) framework based on the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) open-source software package is employed to calculate the elastic response of trabecular bone cores. A novel procedure to handle pore-material boundaries is presented, referred to as the Firm and Floppy Boundary LEM (FFB-LEM). Our FFB-LEM calculations are compared to voxel- and geometry-based FEA benchmarks incorporating bovine and human trabecular bone cores imaged by micro Computed Tomography (μCT). Using 14 computer cores, the apparent elastic modulus calculation of a trabecular bone core from a μCT-based input with FFB-LEM required about 15 min, including conversion of the μCT data into a LAMMPS input file. In contrast, the FEA calculations on the same system including the mesh generation, required approximately 30 and 50 min for voxel- and geometry-based FEA, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between FFB-LEM and voxel- or geometry-based FEA apparent elastic moduli (+24.3% or +7.41%, and +0.630% or -5.29% differences for bovine and human samples, respectively).

Ontogenetic changes to metacarpal trabecular bone structure in mountain and western lowland gorillas.

The trabecular bone morphology of adult extant primates has been shown to reflect mechanical loading related to locomotion. However, ontogenetic studies of humans and other mammals suggest an adaptive lag between trabecular bone response and current mechanical loading patterns that could result in adult trabecular bone morphology reflecting juvenile behaviours. This study investigates ontogenetic changes in the trabecular bone structure of the third metacarpal of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei; n = 26) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla; n = 26) and its relationship to expected changes in locomotor loading patterns. Results show that trabecular bone reflects predicted mechanical loading throughout ontogeny. Bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness and trabecular number are low at birth and increase with age, although degree of anisotropy remains relatively stable throughout ontogeny. A high concentration of bone volume fraction can be observed in the distopalmar region of the third metacarpal epiphysis in early ontogeny, consistent with the high frequency of climbing, suspensory and other grasping behaviours in young gorillas. High trabecular bone concentration increases dorsally in the epiphysis during the juvenile period as terrestrial knuckle‐walking becomes the primary form of locomotion. However, fusion of the epiphysis does not take place until 10–11 years of age, and overall trabecular structure does not fully reflect the adult pattern until 12 years of age, indicating a lag between adult‐like behaviours and adult‐like trabecular morphology. We found minimal differences in trabecular ontogeny between mountain and western lowland gorillas, despite presumed variation in the frequencies of arboreal locomotor behaviours. Altogether, ontogenetic changes in Gorilla metacarpal trabecular structure reflect overall genus‐level changes in locomotor behaviours throughout development, but with some ontogenetic lag that should be considered when drawing functional conclusions from bone structure in extant or fossil adolescent specimens.

Development of a crushable foam model for human trabecular bone

Finite element (FE) simulations can be used to evaluate the mechanical behavior of human bone and allow for quantitative prediction of press-fit implant fixation. An adequate material model that captures post-yield behavior is essential for a realistic simulation. The crushable foam (CF) model is a constitutive model that has recently been proposed in this regard. Compression tests under uniaxial and confined loading conditions were performed on 59 human trabecular bone specimens. Three essential material parameters were obtained as a function of bone mineral density (BMD) to develop the isotropic CF model. The related constitutive rule was implemented in FE models and the results were compared to the experimental data. The CF model provided an accurate simulation of uniaxial compression tests and the post-yield behavior of the stress-strain was well-matched with the experimental results. The model was able to reproduce the confined response of the bone up to 15% of strain. This model allows for simulation of the mechanical behavior of the cellular structure of human bone and adequately predicts the post-yield response of trabecular bone, particularly under uniaxial loading conditions. The model can be further improved to simulate bone collapse due to local overload around orthopaedic implants.

Reversibility of marrow adipose accumulation and reduction of trabecular bone in the epiphysis of the proximal tibia

Mechanical stimuli play an important role in the homeostasis of trabecular bone and marrow adipose tissue, particularly for the weight-bearing skeleton. Prolonged immobilization and disuse have been shown to reduce trabecular bone content and increase marrow adipose tissue in the bones of lower limb joints such as the knee. However, details on the temporal response of this relationship to prolonged immobilization and its reversibility is limited. Forty rats had one knee immobilized at 45° of flexion for 2, 4, 8, or 16 weeks and subsequently remobilized for 0 or 8 weeks. The contralateral knees were used as controls. Histomorphometric measures of trabecular bone and marrow adipose tissue (MAT) areas were conducted in the epiphysis of the proximal tibia. Knee immobilization for 4, 8, and 16 weeks significantly reduced trabecular bone area by -0.125, -0.139, and -0.161 mm2/mm2, respectively, with corresponding 95 % CIs of [-0.012, -0.239], [-0.006, -0.273], and [-0.101, -0.221]. MAT area significantly increased at 2 and 16 weeks by +0.008 and +0.027 mm2/mm2, respectively, with 95 % CIs of [0.014, 0.002] and [0.039, 0.016]. Remobilization for 8 weeks restored trabecular bone area compared to the contralateral knee and the magnitude of change was significantly greater for 8 and 16 weeks of immobilization with effect sizes of 1.69 and 1.86, respectively. The difference in MAT area between immobilized and contralateral knees were eliminated with remobilization. These results characterize the temporal response of trabecular bone and MAT in the epiphysis of the proximal tibia to joint immobilization and remobilization.

P.3.11 Quality of sleep in relation to socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the neuromuscular disease

Mechanical stimuli play an important role in the homeostasis of trabecular bone and marrow adipose tissue, particularly for the weight-bearing skeleton. Prolonged immobilization and disuse have been shown to reduce trabecular bone content and increase marrow adipose tissue in the bones of lower limb joints such as the knee. However, details on the temporal response of this relationship to prolonged immobilization and its reversibility is limited. Forty rats had one knee immobilized at 45° of flexion for 2, 4, 8, or 16 weeks and subsequently remobilized for 0 or 8 weeks. The contralateral knees were used as controls. Histomorphometric measures of trabecular bone and marrow adipose tissue (MAT) areas were conducted in the epiphysis of the proximal tibia. Knee immobilization for 4, 8, and 16 weeks significantly reduced trabecular bone area by -0.125, -0.139, and -0.161 mm2/mm2, respectively, with corresponding 95 % CIs of [-0.012, -0.239], [-0.006, -0.273], and [-0.101, -0.221]. MAT area significantly increased at 2 and 16 weeks by +0.008 and +0.027 mm2/mm2, respectively, with 95 % CIs of [0.014, 0.002] and [0.039, 0.016]. Remobilization for 8 weeks restored trabecular bone area compared to the contralateral knee and the magnitude of change was significantly greater for 8 and 16 weeks of immobilization with effect sizes of 1.69 and 1.86, respectively. The difference in MAT area between immobilized and contralateral knees were eliminated with remobilization. These results characterize the temporal response of trabecular bone and MAT in the epiphysis of the proximal tibia to joint immobilization and remobilization.

Nonlinear micro-CT based FE modeling of trabecular bone-Sensitivity of apparent response to tissue constitutive law and bone volume fraction.

In this study, the sensitivity of the apparent response of trabecular bone to different constitutive models at the tissue level was investigated using finite element (FE) modeling based on micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Trabecular bone specimens from porcine femurs were loaded under a uniaxial compression experimentally and computationally. The apparent behaviors computed using von Mises, Drucker-Prager, and Cast Iron plasticity models were compared. Secondly, the effect of bone volume fraction was studied by changing the bone volume fraction of a trabecular bone sample while keeping the same basic architecture. Also, constitutive models' parameters of the tissue were calibrated for porcine bone, and the effects of different parameters on resulting apparent response were investigated through a parametric study. The calibrated effective tissue elastic modulus of porcine trabecular bone was 10±1.2GPa, which is in the lower range of modulus values reported in the literature for human and bovine trabecular bones (4-23.8GPa). It was also observed that, unlike elastic modulus, yield properties of tissue could not be uniquely calibrated by fitting an apparent response from simulations to experiments under a uniaxial compression. Our results demonstrated that using these 3 tissue constitutive models had only a slight effect on the apparent response. As expected, there was a significant change in the apparent response with varying bone volume fraction. Also, both apparent modulus and maximum stress had a linear relation with bone volume fraction.

Response of trabecular bone, thyroid C and follicular cells to synthetic salmon calcitonin in middle-aged orchidectomized male rats.

In contrast to studies in women, male osteoporosis is poorly understood and strictly related to advancing age. Among the first antiresorptive substances used in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis is calcitonin (CT), a hypocalcemic hormone that potently inhibits osteoclastic bone resorption. Natural CT is produced and secreted by thyroid C-cells. The other endocrine population of thyroid cells produces thyroid hormones (TH), which also affect bone turnover. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of salmon CT on trabecular bone microarchitecture with special reference to effects on the structure and function of both CT- and TH-producing thyroid cells in orchidectomized (Orx) middle-aged rats. Twenty-four male Wistar rats aged 15months were randomly divided into Orx and sham-operated (SO) groups. One group of Orx animals received (s.c.) synthetic salmon CT (Orx+CT; 100IUkg-1 b.w.) subcutaneously every second day for 6 weeks. The second Orx group and SO rats were given the same volume of vehicle alone by the same schedule. Trabecular bone histomorphometrical parameters were: cancellous bone area (B.Ar), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N) and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) were obtained with an ImageJ public-domain image-processing program. The peroxidase-antiperoxidase method was applied for localization of CT in C-cells. Anti-human CT antisera served as the primary antibodies. For immunohistochemical characterization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in thyroid tissue, rabbit antisera against human VEGF, served as primary antibodies. CT-immunopositive thyroid C-cells, thyroid follicular epithelium, interstitium and colloid were evaluated morphometrically. Blood serum samples were analyzed for CT, osteocalcin (OC), and thyroxine (T4 ), and calcium (Ca2+ ) concentration was determined in urine samples. Salmon CT application significantly increased B.Ar, TbTh and TbN, but markedly decreased Tb.Sp. Administration of exogenous CT significantly decreased mean volume (Vc) and relative volume density (Vv) of thyroid C-cells in relation to both SO and Orx groups. The Vv of the colloid was higher, whereas the VV of the follicular epithelium was lower after CT treatment compared with Orx alone. CT treatment markedly elevated serum CT, whereas serum OC, T4 and urinary Ca2+ concentrations were lower than in the Orx group. These results indicate that salmon CT stimulates trabecular bone microarchitecture, strongly inhibits thyroid C-cells and changes the structure of the thyroid gland, indicating hypoactivity.

Time Dependent Behaviour of Trabecular Bone at Multiple Load Levels

The deformation of bone when subjected to loads is not instantaneous but varies with time. To investigate this time-dependent behaviour sixteen bovine trabecular bone specimens were subjected to compressive loading, creep, unloading and recovery at multiple load levels corresponding to apparent strains of 2000–25,000 με. We found that: the time-dependent response of trabecular bone comprises of both recoverable and irrecoverable strains; the strain response is nonlinearly related to applied load levels; and the response is linked to bone volume fraction. Although majority of strain is recovered after the load-creep-unload-recovery cycle some residual strain always exists. The analysis of results indicates that trabecular bone becomes stiffer initially and then experiences stiffness degradation with the increasing load levels. Steady state creep rate was found to be dependent on applied stress level and bone volume fraction with a power law relationship.

Formulation of an effective growth response of trabecular bone based on micromechanical analyses at the trabecular level

We construct in the present paper the effective growth response of trabecular bone, based on micromechanical analyses at the scale of a representative volume element consisting of individual trabeculae defining the representative unit cell (RUC). From a fundamental perspective, we adopt the physically and micromechanically motivated point of view that growth (resp. resorption) occurs as the surface remodeling of the individual trabeculae, the averaging of which leads to a net growth at the mesoscopic scale of the RUC. The effective model for the growing unit cell relies on an average kinematics which has been formulated in terms of the effective growth velocity gradient and effective elastic rate of deformation tensor, both functions of the rate of the effective density and stress applied over the RUC. The evaluation of the relation between the average rate of growth tensor and elastic growth rate versus the external stress applied to the RUC is obtained from a split of the average rate of growth tensor into its spherical and deviatoric parts, each of which being related to the corresponding applied stress quantities. The effective growth model is written for three different loading conditions as a polynomial relation between the components of the rate of growth tensor and similar components of the stress tensor under planar conditions, with a nonlinear function of the effective density as a weighting factor. The developed methodology is quite general and is applicable to any choice of the RUC morphology representative of the internal bone architecture.

Construction of the effective plastic yield surfaces of vertebral trabecular bone under twisting and bending moments stresses using a 3D microstructural model

Trabecular bone experiences complex multiaxial loads which can lead to entire bone fracture. The available knowledge of the failure properties of trabecular under multiaxial states of stress is quite limited, especially under bending and twisting moment stresses. Analytical models of the mechanical response of trabecular bone based on microstructural models can significantly enhance our understanding of multiaxial failure behavior under such loadings. For this purpose, plastic yield surfaces are derived for lattice‐like models of the trabecular bone structure with a relatively high effective density, such that failure occurs by full plastic flow. The asymptotic discrete homogenization approach is involved to construct the plastic collapse surfaces of the periodic 3D rod‐like architecture of vertebral bone in micropolar couple stress space incorporating natural anisotropy of bone. Both in‐plane and out‐of‐plane bending couple stress states are considered in addition to torsional couple stresses. A plastic yield criterion is adopted to address general bending and torsional couple loadings, accounting for combined cell wall bone microstructure bending and torsion. The criterion for full plastic yielding is micromechanically motivated and relies on the calculation of the microscopic couple stresses (or micromoments) that are linked to the homogenized curvatures. The plastic yield surface is associated to a complete plasticization of the trabecular strut section. Additionally, since the effective bone density is the most important factor affecting the failure behavior of bone, the plastic strengths of vertebral bone are obtained in terms of the relative density to provide insights about the impact of bone relative density on the plastic collapse conditions. The vertebral plastic failure domains due to torsional and bending couple stresses are related to the relative density, expressed in terms of the micro‐architecture parameters, itself changing with age.

Modeling orthotropic elasticity, localized plasticity and fracture in trabecular bone

This work develops a model for the mechanical response of trabecular bone including plasticity, damage and fracture. It features a resultant lamellar orientation that captures trabecular strut anisotropic elasticity, and introduces asymmetric J2 plasticity with isotropic hardening to capture evolving strut tensile and compressive dissipative properties. A continuum compatibility based damage and fracture criterion is also proposed to model fracture surface generation. We investigated fracture of a trabecular bone network under a compressive load, for which failure modes of both tension and compression were identified at the strut level. The predicted trabecular network response was found to fall within the range of experimental results reported in literature. We also investigated the response of idealized struts under compression, tension and bending using our model. Individual struts were found to exhibit micro-buckling under compression and micro-necking under tension. These instabilities are however masked by the multiplicity and complexity of strut orientations at the trabecular network level.

Trabecular bone recovers from mechanical unloading primarily by restoring its mechanical function rather than its morphology

Upon returning to normal ambulatory activities, the recovery of trabecular bone lost during unloading is limited. Here, using a mouse population that displayed a large range of skeletal susceptibility to unloading and reambulation, we tested the impact of changes in trabecular bone morphology during unloading and reambulation on its simulated mechanical properties. Female adult mice from a double cross of BALB/cByJ and C3H/HeJ strains (n=352) underwent 3wk of hindlimb unloading followed by 3wk of reambulation. Normally ambulating mice served as controls (n=30). As quantified longitudinally by in vivo μCT, unloading led to an average loss of 43% of trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) in the distal femur. Finite element models of the μCT tomographies showed that deterioration of the trabecular structure raised trabecular peak Von-Mises (PVM) stresses on average by 27%, indicating a significant increase in the risk of mechanical failure compared to baseline. Further, skewness of the Von-Mises stress distributions (SVM) increased by 104% with unloading, indicating that the trabecular structure became inefficient in resisting the applied load. During reambulation, bone of experimental mice recovered on average only 10% of its lost BV/TV. Even though the addition of trabecular tissue was small during reambulation, PVM and SVM as indicators of risk of mechanical failure decreased by 56% and 57%, respectively. Large individual differences in the response of trabecular bone, together with a large sample size, facilitated stratification of experimental mice based on the level of recovery. As a fraction of all mice, 66% of the population showed some degree of recovery in BV/TV while in 89% and 87% of all mice, PVM and SVM decreased during reambulation, respectively. At the end of the reambulation phase, only 8% of the population recovered half of the unloading induced losses in BV/TV while 50% and 49% of the population recovered half of the unloading induced deterioration in PVM and SVM, respectively. The association between morphological and mechanical variables was strong at baseline but progressively decreased during the unloading and reambulation cycles. The preferential recovery of trabecular micromechanical properties over bone volume fraction emphasizes that mechanical demand during reambulation does not, at least initially, seek to restore bone's morphology but its mechanical integrity.

In vivo evidence of IGF-I–estrogen crosstalk in mediating the cortical bone response to mechanical strain

Although insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and estrogen signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in mediating the bone anabolic response to mechanical loading, it is not known whether these two signaling pathways crosstalk with each other in producing a skeletal response to mechanical loading. To test this, at 5 weeks of age, partial ovariectomy (pOVX) or a sham operation was performed on heterozygous IGF-I conditional knockout (H IGF-I KO) and control mice generated using a Cre-loxP approach. At 10 weeks of age, a 10 N axial load was applied on the right tibia of these mice for a period of 2 weeks and the left tibia was used as an internal non-non-loaded control. At the cortical site, partial estrogen loss reduced total volumetric bone mineral density (BMD) by 5% in control pOVX mice (P=0.05, one-way ANOVA), but not in the H IGF-I KO pOVX mice. At the trabecular site, bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) was reduced by 5%–6% in both control pOVX (P<0.05) and H IGF-I KO pOVX (P=0.05) mice. Two weeks of mechanical loading caused a 7%–8% and an 11%–13% (P<0.05 vs. non-loaded bones) increase in cortical BMD and cortical thickness (Ct.Th), respectively, in the control sham, control pOVX and H IGF-I KO sham groups. By contrast, the magnitude of cortical BMD (4%, P=0.13) and Ct.Th (6%, P<0.05) responses were reduced by 50% in the H IGF-I KO pOVX mice compared to the other three groups. The interaction between genotype and estrogen deficiency on the mechanical loading-induced cortical bone response was significant (P<0.05) by two-way ANOVA. Two weeks of axial loading caused similar increases in trabecular BV/TV (13%–17%) and thickness (17%–23%) in all four groups of mice. In conclusion, partial loss of both estrogen and IGF-I significantly reduced cortical but not the trabecular bone response to mechanical loading, providing in vivo evidence of the above crosstalk in mediating the bone response to loading.

Quantitative trait loci that modulate trabecular bone's risk of failure during unloading and reloading

Genetic makeup of an individual is a strong determinant of the morphologic and mechanical properties of bone. Here, in an effort to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for changes in the simulated mechanical parameters of trabecular bone during altered mechanical demand, we subjected 352second generation female adult (16weeks old) BALBxC3H mice to 3weeks of hindlimb unloading followed by 3weeks of reambulation. Longitudinal in vivo microcomputed tomography (μCT) scans tracked trabecular changes in the distal femur. Tomographies were directly translated into finite element (FE) models and subjected to a uniaxial compression test. Apparent trabecular stiffness and components of the Von Mises (VM) stress distributions were computed for the distal metaphysis and associated with QTLs. At baseline, five QTLs explained 20% of the variation in trabecular peak stresses across the mouse population. During unloading, three QTLs accounted for 14% of the variability in peak stresses. During reambulation, one QTL accounted for 5% of the variability in peak stresses. QTLs were also identified for mechanically induced changes in stiffness, median stress values and skewness of stress distributions. There was little overlap between QTLs identified for baseline and QTLs for longitudinal changes in mechanical properties, suggesting that distinct genes may be responsible for the mechanical response of trabecular bone. Unloading related QTLs were also different from reambulation related QTLs. Further, QTLs identified here for mechanical properties differed from previously identified QTLs for trabecular morphology, perhaps revealing novel gene targets for reducing fracture risk in individuals exposed to unloading and for maximizing the recovery of trabecular bone's mechanical properties during reambulation.

Trabecular bone adaptation to loading in a rabbit model is not magnitude‐dependent

Although mechanical loading is known to influence trabecular bone adaptation, the role of specific loading parameters requires further investigation. Previous studies demonstrated that the number of loading cycles and loading duration modulate the adaptive response of trabecular bone in a rabbit model of applied loading. In the current study, we investigated the influence of load magnitude on the adaptive response of trabecular bone using the rabbit model. Cyclic compressive loads, producing peak pressures of either 0.5 or 1.0 MPa, were applied daily (5 days/week) at 1 Hz and 50 cycles/day for 4 weeks post-operatively to the trabecular bone on the lateral side of the distal right femur, while the left side served as an nonloaded control. The adaptive response was characterized by microcomputed tomography and histomorphometry. Bone volume fraction, bone mineral content, tissue mineral density, and mineral apposition rate (MAR) increased in loaded limbs compared to the contralateral control limbs. No load magnitude dependent difference was observed, which may reflect the critical role of loading compared to the operated, nonloaded contralateral limb. The increased MAR suggests that loading stimulated new bone formation rather than just maintaining bone volume. The absence of a dose-dependent response of trabecular bone observed in this study suggests that a range of load magnitudes should be examined for biophysical therapies aimed at augmenting current treatments to enhance long-term fixation of orthopedic devices.

Estrogen receptor-α in osteocytes is important for trabecular bone formation in male mice

The bone-sparing effect of estrogen in both males and females is primarily mediated via estrogen receptor-α (ERα), encoded by the Esr1 gene. ERα in osteoclasts is crucial for the trabecular bone-sparing effect of estrogen in females, but it is dispensable for trabecular bone in male mice and for cortical bone in both genders. We hypothesized that ERα in osteocytes is important for trabecular bone in male mice and for cortical bone in both males and females. Dmp1-Cre mice were crossed with ERα(flox/flox) mice to generate mice lacking ERα protein expression specifically in osteocytes (Dmp1-ERα(-/-)). Male Dmp1-ERα(-/-) mice displayed a substantial reduction in trabecular bone volume (-20%, P < 0.01) compared with controls. Dynamic histomorphometry revealed reduced bone formation rate (-45%, P < 0.01) but the number of osteoclasts per bone surface was unaffected in the male Dmp1-ERα(-/-) mice. The male Dmp1-ERα(-/-) mice had reduced expression of several osteoblast/osteocyte markers in bone, including Runx2, Sp7, and Dmp1 (P < 0.05). Gonadal intact Dmp1-ERα(-/-) female mice had no significant reduction in trabecular bone volume but ovariectomized Dmp1-ERα(-/-) female mice displayed an attenuated trabecular bone response to supraphysiological E2 treatment. Dmp1-ERα(-/-) mice of both genders had unaffected cortical bone. In conclusion, ERα in osteocytes regulates trabecular bone formation and thereby trabecular bone volume in male mice but it is dispensable for the trabecular bone in female mice and the cortical bone in both genders. We propose that the physiological trabecular bone-sparing effect of estrogen is mediated via ERα in osteocytes in males, but via ERα in osteoclasts in females.

Unique Suites of Trabecular Bone Features Characterize Locomotor Behavior in Human and Non-Human Anthropoid Primates

Understanding the mechanically-mediated response of trabecular bone to locomotion-specific loading patterns would be of great benefit to comparative mammalian evolutionary morphology. Unfortunately, assessments of the correspondence between individual trabecular bone features and inferred behavior patterns have failed to reveal a strong locomotion-specific signal. This study assesses the relationship between inferred locomotor activity and a suite of trabecular bone structural features that characterize bone architecture. High-resolution computed tomography images were collected from the humeral and femoral heads of 115 individuals from eight anthropoid primate genera (Alouatta, Homo, Macaca, Pan, Papio, Pongo, Trachypithecus, Symphalangus). Discriminant function analyses reveal that subarticular trabecular bone in the femoral and humeral heads is significantly different among most locomotor groups. The results indicate that when a suite of femoral head trabecular features is considered, trabecular number and connectivity density, together with fabric anisotropy and the relative proportion of rods and plates, differentiate locomotor groups reasonably well. A similar, yet weaker, relationship is also evident in the trabecular architecture of the humeral head. The application of this multivariate approach to analyses of trabecular bone morphology in recent and fossil primates may enhance our ability to reconstruct locomotor behavior in the fossil record.

USING MICRO-CT BASED DIGITAL VOLUME CORRELATION TO MEASURE STRAIN IN TRABECULAR BONE AT DIFFERENT COMPRESSIVE LOADS

Introduction Despite extensive research, the mechanical properties of trabecular bone are still incompletely understood. There is a particular lack of knowledge of the local distribution of strain within the complex and anisotropic structure of trabecular bone. Recently, analytical methods such as digital volume correlation (DVC) have allowed researchers to noninvasively measure the three-dimensional (3D) response of trabecular bone to mechanical loads [Bay, 1999]. However, so far no studies have assessed the strain values calculated from DVC at different load levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strain values calculated from DVC at different loads to determine whether it is an effective tool for measuring the local distribution of 3D trabecular bone strain.

Trabecular bone response to mechanical loading in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats depends on baseline bone quantity

Mechanical loading is one of the determining factors for bone modulation, and is therefore frequently used to treat or prevent bone loss; however, there appears to be no data on the effects of baseline bone quantity on this response. This study aimed to verify whether baseline bone quantity affects osteoporotic trabecular bone adaptive response to mechanical stimulation. Twenty-four female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were ovariectomized (OVX). After 3 weeks of OVX, rats were divided into a high bone quantity and a low bone quantity group, and rats in each group were then subdivided into 4 groups that were exposed to different loading strategies. In the loading groups, tibiae were stimulated through axial loading at 2000με of strain, for 1500 cycles each of 75s, 150s, or 250s. The sham treatment groups received no loading. Changes in BV/TV for trabecular bone in the tibia were measured at the baseline (before loading), and at 3 weeks and 6 weeks after loading. BV/TVs in loading groups of the low baseline bone quantity group were significantly increased at 6 weeks, compared with those in the no-loading groups (p<0.05), while those in the high quantity groups were not increased (p>0.05). A significant negative correlation was observed between baseline BV/TV and its relative variations at 3 weeks or 6 weeks (p<0.05). These results indicate that adaptive responses of osteoporotic trabecular bone to mechanical loading depend on baseline bone quantity.

The beneficial effect of Icariin on bone is diminished in osteoprotegerin-deficient mice

BackgroundOsteoprogeterin (OPG) plays an important role in regulating bone homeostasis by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. Icariin is the major ingredient of Herba Epimedii, which exerts anabolic and anti-resorptive effects on bone, but the mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated the role of OPG in Icariin-mediated beneficial effects on bone. Materials and methodsTwelve-week-old Opg knockout (KO) male mice and their wild type (WT) littermates were orally administered with Icariin (0.3mg/g) everyday for 8weeks. Bone mass and microstructure in the right proximal tibiae were analyzed with micro-computed tomography (μCT). Bone remodeling was evaluated with serum biochemical analyses and bone histomorphometry. The colonies of fibroblast and osteoblast from bone marrow derived cells were quantified. The mRNA expressions of osteoblast and osteoclast related genes in trabecular bone from the femora were analyzed by real-time PCR. ResultsIcariin treatment led to greater trabecular bone volume and trabecular number compared with vehicle treatment in WT mice. Icariin treatment increased bone formation parameters while it decreased bone resorption parameters in WT mice; however, the anabolic response of trabecular bone to Icariin treatment was diminished in KO mice. At cellular and molecular levels, Icariin significantly increased the formation of osteoblast colonies from bone marrow derived cells and the Opg gene expression in trabecular bone of WT mice. ConclusionsThese data suggest that Icariin treatment exerted anabolic and anti-resorptive effects on trabecular bone of WT mice, in which the effects were diminished in KO mice. The effects of Icariin treatment on bone are dependent on up-regulation of Opg, therefore, OPG plays an essential role in Icariin-mediated beneficial effects on trabecular bone.