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Characterizing microarchitectural changes at the distal radius and tibia in postmenopausal women using HR-pQCT

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Abstract

Summary

Limited prospective evidence exists regarding bone microarchitectural deterioration. We report annual changes in trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture at the distal radius and tibia in postmenopausal women. Lost trabeculae with corresponding increase in trabecular thickness at the radius and thinning tibial cortex indicated trabecularization of the cortex at both sites.

Introduction

Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and the deterioration of bone microarchitecture. However, limited prospective evidence exists regarding bone microarchitectural changes in postmenopausal women: a population prone to sustaining osteoporotic fractures. Our primary objective was to characterize the annual change in bone area, density, and microarchitecture at the distal radius and distal tibia in postmenopausal women.

Methods

Distal radius and tibia were measured using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) at baseline and 1 year later in 51 women (mean age ± SD, 77 ± 7 years) randomly sampled from the Saskatoon cohort of the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study (CaMos). We used repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni adjustment for multiple comparisons to characterize the mean annual change in total density, cortical perimeter, trabecular and cortical bone area, density, content, and microarchitecture. Significant changes were accepted at P < 0.05.

Results

At the distal radius in women without bone-altering drugs, total density (−1.7 %) and trabecular number (−6.4 %) decreased, while trabecular thickness (+6.0 %), separation (+8.6 %), and heterogeneity (+12.1 %) increased. At their distal tibia, cortical area (−4.5 %), density (−1.9 %), content (−6.3 %), and thickness (−4.4 %) decreased, while trabecular area (+0.4 %) increased.

Conclusions

The observed loss of trabeculae with concomitant increase in trabecular size at the distal radius and the declined cortical thickness, density, and content at the distal tibia indicated a site-specific trabecularization of the cortical bone in postmenopausal women.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all our CaMos Saskatoon cohort participants for their continued altruism and volunteering for scientific research. We thank Andrew Frank and Jola Thingvold for coordinating the study measurements. We would also acknowledge the University of Saskatchewan, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for financial support.

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, 87 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B2, Canada

    C. E. Kawalilak & S. A. Kontulainen

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    J. D. Johnston

  3. College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada

    W. P. Olszynski

Authors
  1. C. E. Kawalilak
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  2. J. D. Johnston
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  3. W. P. Olszynski
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  4. S. A. Kontulainen
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Correspondence to C. E. Kawalilak.

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Kawalilak, C.E., Johnston, J.D., Olszynski, W.P. et al. Characterizing microarchitectural changes at the distal radius and tibia in postmenopausal women using HR-pQCT. Osteoporos Int 25, 2057–2066 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-014-2719-0

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