Novel experimental effects on bone material's properties and the pre- and post-yield behavior of bones may be independent of bone mineralization

GUSTAVO ROBERTO COINTRY; RICARDO FRANCISCO CAPOZZA; MARÍA ANGELINA CHIAPPE; SARA FELDMAN; MARGARITA META; STELLA MARIS DANIELE; NÉSTOR MATÍAS FRACALOSSI; PAOLA REINA; JOSÉ LUIS FERRETTI

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL METABOLISM.

Springer Verlag

Lugar: Tokio; Año: 2005 vol. 23 p. 30 - 35

0914-8779

In this paper we summarize the results of six different tomographic/biomechanical rat studies involving hypophysectomy (Hx), ovariectomy, treatment with rhGH, olpadronate, alendronate and toxic doses of aluminum, and the development of a genetic diabetes in the eSS strain. All these conditions induced some interesting and rarely reported effects on post-yield bone strength. These effects were generally neither related to the degree of mineralization or the elastic modulus of the bone tissue nor to the pre-yield behavior of the bones. In two particular cases (Hx, eSS) the elastic modulus of bone tissue varied independently of its degree of mineralization. These results suggest the involvement of some microstructural factor(s) of bone tissue resistance to crack progression (a post-yield feature of bone behavior), rather than to crack initiation (the yield-determining factor) in the corresponding mechanism. Changes in collagen or crystal structure may play that role. These changes are relevant to the mechanism of fracture production during plastic deformation, a feature of bone strength that might be independent from mineralization. Therefore, these changes might help to explain some effects of novel treatments on bone strength unrelated to bone mineralization. This questions the belief that the remaining bone mass in metabolic osteopenias is biologically and mechanically normal.