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Exercise characteristics influence femoral cross-sectional geometry: a magnetic resonance imaging study in elite female athletes

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Abstract

Summary

The associations between mid-femoral cross-sectional geometry and exercise characteristics were investigated in female athletes. The effects on bone geometry for weight-bearing sports with low-to-high-impact were greater than those for non-impact weight-bearing sports, whereas low-impact or high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate sports had less of an effect on bone geometry compared with higher-impact sports.

Introduction

Many previous studies have investigated tibial geometry in athletes; however, few studies have examined the associations between femoral cross-sectional geometry and exercise characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate these relationships using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the femoral mid-shaft.

Methods

One hundred and fifty-three female elite athletes, aged 18–34 years, were classified into five groups based on the characteristics of their sports. Sports were considered non-impact (n = 27), low- or moderate-impact (n = 39), odd-impact (n = 38), high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate (n = 10), or high-impact (n = 39). Bone geometrical parameters, including cortical area, periosteal perimeter, and moment of inertia (bone strength index), were determined using MRI images.

Results

Higher-impact groups displayed bone expansion, with significantly greater periosteal perimeters, cortical areas (~37.3 %), and minimum moments of inertia (I min, ~92.3 %) at the mid-femur than non- and low-impact groups. After adjusting for age, height, and weight, the cortical area and I min of the low-impact and high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate groups were also significantly greater than those of the non-impact group.

Conclusions

Higher-impact sports with high strain rates stimulated periosteal bone formation and improved bone geometry and strength indices at the femoral mid-shaft. Although our results indicate that weight-bearing sports are beneficial even if they are low impact, the effects of lower-impact or high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate sports on bone geometry were less pronounced than the effects of higher-impact sports at the femoral mid-shaft.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by The Japan Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS). We thank all of the athletes who participated in this study, as well as the staff of JISS. We especially thank Hideyuki Takahashi and Hiroyuki Tohdo for their advice on MRI analysis.

This study was supported by Grants in Aid for Young Scientists (B) of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (21700714), Japan, 2009.

Conflicts of interest

Akiko HONDA, Minoru Matsumoto, Takeru Kato, and Yoshihisa Umemura declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics, School of Health and Sport Sciences, Chukyo University, 101 Tokodachi, Kaizu-cho, Toyota, 470-0393, Aichi, Japan

    A. Honda, M. Matsumoto & Y. Umemura

  2. Sports Science and Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Science, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Japan

    T. Kato

Authors
  1. A. Honda
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  2. M. Matsumoto
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  3. T. Kato
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  4. Y. Umemura
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Correspondence to A. Honda.

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Honda, A., Matsumoto, M., Kato, T. et al. Exercise characteristics influence femoral cross-sectional geometry: a magnetic resonance imaging study in elite female athletes. Osteoporos Int 26, 1093–1098 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-014-2935-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-014-2935-7

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