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Reduced Tissue-Level Stiffness and Mineralization in Osteoporotic Cancellous Bone

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Abstract

Osteoporosis alters bone mass and composition ultimately increasing the fragility of primarily cancellous skeletal sites; however, effects of osteoporosis on tissue-level mechanical properties of cancellous bone are unknown. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans are the clinical standard for diagnosing osteoporosis though changes in cancellous bone mass and mineralization are difficult to separate using this method. The goal of this study was to investigate possible difference in tissue-level properties with osteoporosis as defined by donor T scores. Spine segments from Caucasian female cadavers (58–92 years) were used. A T score for each donor was calculated from DXA scans to determine osteoporotic status. Tissue-level composition and mechanical properties of vertebrae adjacent to the scan region were measured using nanoindentation and Raman spectroscopy. Based on T scores, six samples were in the Osteoporotic group (58–74 years) and four samples were in the Not Osteoporotic group (65–92 years). The indentation modulus and mineral to matrix ratio (mineral:matrix) were lower in the Osteoporotic group than the Not Osteoporotic group. Mineral:matrix ratio decreased with age (r 2 = 0.35, p = 0.05), and the indentation modulus increased with areal bone mineral density (r 2 = 0.41, p = 0.04). This study is the first to examine cancellous bone composition and mechanical properties from a fracture prone location with osteoporosis. We found differences in tissue composition and mechanical properties with osteoporosis that could contribute to increased fragility in addition to changes in trabecular architecture and bone volume.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by NIH/NAIMS grant P30-AR046121, R01-AR053571, R01-AR041325 and T32-AR007281. This work made use of the Cornell Center for Materials Research Facilities supported by the National Science Foundation under Award Number DMR-0520404. The authors would like to thank HysitronInc for use of the nanoindenter.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, 219 Upson Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Grace Kim & Marjolein C. H. van der Meulen

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Jacqueline H. Cole

  3. Musculoskeletal Integrity Program, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA

    Adele L. Boskey & Marjolein C. H. van der Meulen

  4. Department of Biochemistry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    Adele L. Boskey

  5. Graduate Program in Physiology, Biophysics, and Systems Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    Adele L. Boskey

  6. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Shefford P. Baker

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  1. Grace Kim
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Correspondence to Marjolein C. H. van der Meulen.

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Kim, G., Cole, J.H., Boskey, A.L. et al. Reduced Tissue-Level Stiffness and Mineralization in Osteoporotic Cancellous Bone. Calcif Tissue Int 95, 125–131 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-014-9873-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-014-9873-4

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