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Spatial Distribution of Microcracks in Osteoarthritic Femoral Neck: Influence of Osteophytes on Microcrack Formation

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Abstract

Osteophytes have been suggested to influence the bone mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to compare the microcrack density in osteophytes with that in the other parts of the osteoarthritic femoral neck (FN). The presence of microcracks was investigated in the ultra-distal FN and in the osteophytes in samples obtained during hip arthroplasty in 24 postmenopausal women aged 67 ± 10 years. Furthermore, the 3D microarchitecture and the collagen crosslinks contents were assessed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Osteophytes were present in the 24 FN, mainly at the level of the inferior quadrant. Microcracks were present in all FN with an average of 2.8 per sample. All observed microcracks were linear. The microcrack density (Cr.N/BV; #/mm2) was significantly higher in cancellous than in cortical bone (p = 0.004), whereas the microcrack length (Cr.Le, µm) was significantly greater in cortical bone (p = 0.04). The collagen crosslinks ratio pyridinoline/deoxypyridinoline was significantly and negatively correlated with Cr.N/BV in the posterior (r′ = − 0.68, p = 0.01) and inferior (r′ = − 0.53, p = 0.05) quadrants. Microcracks were observed in seven osteophytes in seven patients. When microcracks were present in the osteophyte area, Cr.N/BV was also significantly higher in the whole FN and in the quadrant of the osteophyte compared to the cases without microcrack in the osteophyte (p < 0.03). In conclusion, in FN from hip osteoarthritis microcracks are present in all FNs but in only 23% of the osteophytes. The microcrack formation was greater and their progression was smaller in the cancellous bone than in the cortex. The spatial distribution of microcracks varied according to the proximity of the osteophyte, and suggests that osteophyte may influence microcrack formation related to changes in local bone quality.

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Acknowledgements

The author Gustavo Davi Rabelo thanks “Ciência sem Fronteiras—Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/Brasil” (Processos: 245336/2012-5 e 301588/2014-7) for the scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM UMR 1033, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France

    Gustavo D. Rabelo, Nathalie Portero-Muzy, Evelyne Gineyts, Jean-Paul Roux, Roland Chapurlat & Pascale Chavassieux

  2. INSERM UMR 1033 - UFR de Médecine Lyon-Est - Domaine Laennec, 7-11, Rue Guillaume Paradin, 69372, Lyon Cedex 08, France

    Pascale Chavassieux

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  1. Gustavo D. Rabelo
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  6. Pascale Chavassieux
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Contributions

PC and RC designed the study. GDR and PC were evolved in all phases of the study and in writing the manuscript. NPM, EG, and JPR contributed to the experimental work and drafting the results. PC and RC are guarantors of the data. All authors revised and approved the final version of the manuscript and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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Correspondence to Pascale Chavassieux.

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Conflict of interest

Gustavo Davi Rabelo, Nathalie Portero-Muzy, Evelyne Gineyts, Jean-Paul Roux, Roland Chapurlat, and Pascale Chavassieux declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standard of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the research ethics committee, and written informed consent to participation in the study was obtained for all women.

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Rabelo, G.D., Portero-Muzy, N., Gineyts, E. et al. Spatial Distribution of Microcracks in Osteoarthritic Femoral Neck: Influence of Osteophytes on Microcrack Formation. Calcif Tissue Int 103, 617–624 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-018-0456-7

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