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The adaption of the bony microstructure of the human glenoid cavity as a result of long-term biomechanical loading

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Abstract

Structural arrangements of the bony microstructure of a joint through adaptational processes are thought to be determined by the biomechanical demands and its changes. Pursuing this theory of “form follows the biomechanical function”, the load distribution of the glenoid cavity, as it is mirrored in its mineralization pattern, should link not only to its thickness distribution, but also will have an impact onto the trabecular network below. To prove and confirm this hypothesis, we analysed the mineral distribution in correlation to the subchondral bone plates thickness and the distribution of architectural parameters of the trabecular network below. Our findings clearly state an inhomogeneous but regular and reproducible mineral distribution pattern in respect to the biomechanical demands and a thickness of the subchondral bone plate which shows a significant correlation (78–93%). As for the trabecular network below, the distribution of the analysed parameters also revealed an inhomogeneous distribution with a regular pattern in correlation to the biomechanical impact. We found distinctive maxima of material distribution and stability (bone volume 79%, plate-like architecture 77%) situated below areas of high long-term load intake. With increasing depth, the trabecular network administers the expression of each structural parameter following the fact that the strain energy gets more and more evenly distributed and changes from a high degree of differentiation just beneath the SBP to a more equal distribution within the deeper areas. After all, the biomechanical situation of a joint directly influences the bony formation of the subchondral bone plate and the trabecular network below.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the “Swiss National Science Foundation” for supporting our research with the Grant 316030_133802/1.

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Author notes

  1. Sebastian Hoechel and Tibor Andrea Zwimpfer contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedicine, Musculoskeletal Research, University of Basel, Pestalozzistrasse 20, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    Sebastian Hoechel, Tibor Andrea Zwimpfer, Mireille Toranelli & Magdalena Müller-Gerbl

Authors
  1. Sebastian Hoechel
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  2. Tibor Andrea Zwimpfer
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  3. Mireille Toranelli
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  4. Magdalena Müller-Gerbl
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Contributions

SH and MM-G designed the study. The acquisition of data was achieved by TAZ and MT. SH and TAZ were in charge of the analysis and interpretation process of drafting and revising the manuscript. All authors finally approved the submitted version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sebastian Hoechel.

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The authors declare that they have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence their work.

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Hoechel, S., Zwimpfer, T.A., Toranelli, M. et al. The adaption of the bony microstructure of the human glenoid cavity as a result of long-term biomechanical loading. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 401–408 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02190-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02190-2

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