Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs
Excessive accumulation of microdamage in the skeleton in vivo is believed to contribute to fragility and risk of fracture, particularly in the elderly. Current knowledge of how much in vivo damage accrual varies between individuals, if at all, is lacking. In this study, paired sixth ribs from five m...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Bone Reports |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187217300074 |
| _version_ | 1811317024431800320 |
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| author | Amanda M. Agnew Victoria M. Dominguez Paul W. Sciulli Sam D. Stout |
| author_facet | Amanda M. Agnew Victoria M. Dominguez Paul W. Sciulli Sam D. Stout |
| author_sort | Amanda M. Agnew |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Excessive accumulation of microdamage in the skeleton in vivo is believed to contribute to fragility and risk of fracture, particularly in the elderly. Current knowledge of how much in vivo damage accrual varies between individuals, if at all, is lacking. In this study, paired sixth ribs from five male and five female elderly individuals (76–92 years, mean age = 84.7 years) were examined using en bloc staining and fluorescent microcopy to quantify linear microcracks present at the time of death (i.e. in vivo microdamage). Crack number, crack length, crack density, and crack surface density were measured for each complete cross-section, with densities calculated using the variable of bone area (which accounts for the influence of porosity on the cortex, unlike the more frequently used cortical area), and analyzed using a two-way mixed model analysis of variance. Results indicate that while microcracks between individuals differ significantly, differences between the left and right corresponding pairs within individuals and the pleural and cutaneous cortices within each rib did not. These results suggest that systemic influences, such as differential metabolic activity, affect the accumulation of linear microcracks. Furthermore, variation in remodeling rates between individuals may be a major factor contributing to differential fracture risk in the elderly. Future work should expand to include a wider age range to examine differences in in vivo microdamage accumulation across the lifespan, as well as considering the influence of bisphosphonates on microdamage accumulation in the context of compromised remodeling rates in the elderly. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:59:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0ef9fa6995a4767b58f7e09f0a57333 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-1872 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:59:31Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bone Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0ef9fa6995a4767b58f7e09f0a573332022-12-22T02:47:49ZengElsevierBone Reports2352-18722017-06-016C606310.1016/j.bonr.2017.02.004Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribsAmanda M. Agnew0Victoria M. Dominguez1Paul W. Sciulli2Sam D. Stout3Skeletal Biology Research Lab, Injury Biomechanics Research Center, The Ohio State University, 333 W. 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USASkeletal Biology Research Lab, Injury Biomechanics Research Center, The Ohio State University, 333 W. 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, 174 W. 18th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USADepartment of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, 174 W. 18th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USAExcessive accumulation of microdamage in the skeleton in vivo is believed to contribute to fragility and risk of fracture, particularly in the elderly. Current knowledge of how much in vivo damage accrual varies between individuals, if at all, is lacking. In this study, paired sixth ribs from five male and five female elderly individuals (76–92 years, mean age = 84.7 years) were examined using en bloc staining and fluorescent microcopy to quantify linear microcracks present at the time of death (i.e. in vivo microdamage). Crack number, crack length, crack density, and crack surface density were measured for each complete cross-section, with densities calculated using the variable of bone area (which accounts for the influence of porosity on the cortex, unlike the more frequently used cortical area), and analyzed using a two-way mixed model analysis of variance. Results indicate that while microcracks between individuals differ significantly, differences between the left and right corresponding pairs within individuals and the pleural and cutaneous cortices within each rib did not. These results suggest that systemic influences, such as differential metabolic activity, affect the accumulation of linear microcracks. Furthermore, variation in remodeling rates between individuals may be a major factor contributing to differential fracture risk in the elderly. Future work should expand to include a wider age range to examine differences in in vivo microdamage accumulation across the lifespan, as well as considering the influence of bisphosphonates on microdamage accumulation in the context of compromised remodeling rates in the elderly.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187217300074Bone lossMicrodamageFracture riskFragilityBone quality |
| spellingShingle | Amanda M. Agnew Victoria M. Dominguez Paul W. Sciulli Sam D. Stout Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs Bone Reports Bone loss Microdamage Fracture risk Fragility Bone quality |
| title | Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs |
| title_full | Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs |
| title_fullStr | Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs |
| title_short | Variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs |
| title_sort | variability of in vivo linear microcrack accumulation in the cortex of elderly human ribs |
| topic | Bone loss Microdamage Fracture risk Fragility Bone quality |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352187217300074 |
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