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Material Properties of Subchondral Bone from Patients with Osteoporosis or Osteoarthritis by Microindentation testing and Electron Probe Microanalysis

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Abstract

Cancellous bone from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) has a reduced material density and appears to be undermineralized. It is hypothesized that this will result in a reduction in the mechanical stiffness and strength of the bone matrix. In this study, bone was obtained from superior and inferior sites, subjected to relatively high and low loads, respectively, from human femoral heads retrieved after surgery for osteoporotic hip fracture (OP), or for hip arthroplasty due to OA. Microindentation testing was used to measure the hardness of cancellous bone at various depths from the subchondral bone plate. The elemental composition from immediately adjacent microscopic sites was determined using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Overall, OA bone was found to have hardness values that were 7% lower than those from OP bone. Bone from the inferior site was harder than that from the superior in both diseases except in female OP patients. There was no variation with depth below the subchondral plate and no difference between sexes. No difference was found in the composition of the bone from the different disease groups and no correlation was found between hardness and any of the composition measurements. Though only an indirect measurement of stiffness, the reduction in hardness values supports the hypothesis that OA bone has a reduced elastic modulus.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grants GR/N33225 and GR/N33102). RMA was supported by a Medical Research Council Senior Fellowship. We thank V. Wise and K. Winwood for their efforts in the preparation and testing for microhardness, and the Orthopaedic Surgeons of Aberdeen Universities Hospital Trust for kindly letting us use tissue from their patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK

    A. M. Coats

  2. Department of Materials and Medical Sciences, Cranfield University, Shrivenham SN6 8LA, UK

    P. Zioupos

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Aberdeen, Polwarth Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK

    R. M. Aspden

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  1. A. M. Coats
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  2. P. Zioupos
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  3. R. M. Aspden
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Correspondence to R. M. Aspden.

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Coats, A., Zioupos, P. & Aspden, R. Material Properties of Subchondral Bone from Patients with Osteoporosis or Osteoarthritis by Microindentation testing and Electron Probe Microanalysis . Calcif Tissue Int 73, 66–71 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-002-2080-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-002-2080-8

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