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Enhanced trabecular micro-architecture of the femoral neck in hip osteoarthritis vs. healthy controls: a micro-computer tomography study in postmenopausal women

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Abstract

Purpose

A controversial relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and bone fragility has been attracting considerable attention. However, despite interest in the effects of OA on femoral neck fracture risk and numerous studies analysing the changes in the arthritic femoral head, there is insufficient data about femoral neck 3D bone micro-architecture in individuals with hip osteoarthritis. We compared trabecular micro-architecture of the femoral neck between postmenopausal women with coxarthrosis and controls to explore whether coxarthrosis may indicate reduced bone fragility from the trabecular micro-architectural perspective.

Methods

The study sample included nine women with hip osteoarthritis and 13 age-matched controls. The femoral neck sections were scanned using micro-computed tomography, evaluating the cancellous bone from the superolateral and inferomedial neck subregions.

Results

Osteoarthritic subjects demonstrated a general trend of improved trabecular micro-architecture in both analysed subregions when compared with age-matched controls. In particular, several architectural properties that are important predictors of cancellous bone strength showed significantly better values in the OA group, even after adjusting for bone volume fraction. Namely, the OA group expressed higher trabecular connectivity (p = 0.008), lower SMI indicating more plate-like structure (p = 0.005), and reduced anisotropy (p = 0.006) particularly in the inferomedial neck. Osteoarthritic cases also trended towards higher BV/TV, particularly in the superolateral neck. All micro-architectural parameters displayed significant regional heterogeneity (p ≤ 0.01), with the inferomedial neck region showing more favourable values than the superolateral region.

Conclusions

Enhanced trabecular micro-architecture of the femoral neck in postmenopausal osteoarthritic subjects suggests reduced cancellous bone fragility in comparison with their age-matched healthy controls.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was supported by the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia, Project: III45005. S. Zagorac and M. Bumbasirevic are employed on the Project 175095.

Disclosures

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anatomy, Laboratory for Anthropology, University of Belgrade - School of Medicine, 4/2 Dr Subotica, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Marija Djuric, Petar Milovanovic & Danijela Djonic

  2. Clinical Centre of Serbia, Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University of Belgrade - School of Medicine, 2 Pasterova, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Slavisa Zagorac & Marko Bumbasirevic

  3. Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade - School of Medicine, 31a Deligradska, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Slobodan Nikolic & Vladimir Zivkovic

  4. Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 59 Lottestr, 22529, Hamburg, Germany

    Michael Hahn, Michael Amling & Robert Percy Marshall

Authors
  1. Marija Djuric
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  2. Slavisa Zagorac
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  3. Petar Milovanovic
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  4. Danijela Djonic
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  5. Slobodan Nikolic
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  6. Michael Hahn
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  7. Vladimir Zivkovic
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  8. Marko Bumbasirevic
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  9. Michael Amling
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  10. Robert Percy Marshall
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Amling.

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Djuric, M., Zagorac, S., Milovanovic, P. et al. Enhanced trabecular micro-architecture of the femoral neck in hip osteoarthritis vs. healthy controls: a micro-computer tomography study in postmenopausal women. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 37, 21–26 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-012-1713-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-012-1713-4

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