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Occupation-dependent loading increases bone strength in men

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Abstract

Summary

Ex vivo analyses of humeri and radii from an anthropological collection and in vivo analyses of the distal radius of retired men indicate that occupation-dependent loading positively influences bone strength by an increase of bone size when young followed by a slowdown of the age-related endocortical and trabecular bone alteration.

Introduction

Skeleton responds to mechanical stimuli, but it is not established whether chronic loading in the context of occupational activities (OA) influences bone properties. We assessed the impact of occupation-dependent loading on upper limb bone strength.

Methods

Individuals were classified according to the intensity of physical loading associated with their OA in two models. Ex vivo, computed tomography scans of the humeri and radii of 219 male skeletons (age of death, 20–93 years) from an anthropological collection of the 20th century (Simon collection) were used to determine estimates of bone strength and cross-sectional geometry. In vivo, distal radius were analysed in 180 men enrolled in the Geneva Retirees Cohort study using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and finite element analysis.

Results

Heavy-loading OA was associated with higher bone strength in both models. This benefit was associated with higher total area (Tt.Ar), medullary area (Me.Ar) and cortical area (Ct.Ar) in young adult skeletons, but the difference decreased in older age. In older men, the humerus supporting heavy loading had a lower Me.Ar. This effect resulted in greater asymmetries of the Me.Ar and the Ct.Ar/Tt.Ar ratio between the humeri of men with unilateral versus bilateral heavy-loading OA. In vivo, an additional benefit of heavy-loading OA was observed on the distal radius trabecular density and microstructure.

Conclusion

Repeated occupation-dependent loading positively influences bone strength by an increase of bone size when young followed by a slowdown of the age-related endocortical and trabecular bone alteration. These data supports the necessity to promote bone health in the context of sedentary occupation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms C. Durosier for the management of the cohort GERICO, Ms F. Merminod, C. Genet, M.-A. Schaad, and A. Sigaud, for the management of GERICO cohort participants, Mr P Bregis for CT scanning of skeletal humeri and radii, Mr G. Conicella for HRpQCT measurements, and Ms R. Sudan for manuscript editing. We thank the Swiss National Science Foundation (subside n° FNS 31–53681.98), the Archaeology Department of the Canton of Vaud, the Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine Clinical Research Centre and the BNP Paribas Foundation for their support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Bone Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine Specialties, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, 4 Rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1211, Geneva 14, Switzerland

    E. Biver, M. Hars, S. Ferrari & R. Rizzoli

  2. Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, F.-A. Forel Institut – Section of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva. Uni Carl Vogt, 66 boulevard Carl Vogt, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland

    G. Perréard Lopreno & M. Besse

  3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, Eindhoven, MB 5600, Netherlands

    B. van Rietbergen

  4. Division of Radiology, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, 4 Rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1211, Geneva 14, Switzerland

    J. P. Vallée

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  1. E. Biver
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Correspondence to E. Biver.

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Conflict of interest

Dr. van Rietbergen reports personal fees from Scanco Medical AG, outside the submitted work; Emmanuel Biver, Geneviève Perréard Lopreno, Magaly Hars, Jean-Paul Vallée, Serge Ferrari, Marie Besse, and René Rizzoli declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Biver, E., Perréard Lopreno, G., Hars, M. et al. Occupation-dependent loading increases bone strength in men. Osteoporos Int 27, 1169–1179 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3409-2

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