Age-Related Changes in Bone Structure and Strength in Female and Male BALB/c Mice
- 20 April 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Calcified Tissue International
- Vol. 86 (6), 470-483
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-010-9359-y
Abstract
Mice may be useful for studies of skeletal aging, but there are limited data on changes in bone structure and strength over their life span. We obtained bones from female and male BALB/c mice at ages 2, 4, 7, 12, and 20 months and evaluated their structural, densitometric, and mechanical properties. MicroCT of the mid-diaphysis of the femur and radius indicated that during skeletal growth (2–7 months) bone cross-sectional size (area, moment of inertia) increased rapidly; during aging (7–20 months) cortical area was maintained, while moment of inertia continued to increase. Bones from females were smaller than those from males at young ages but not at later ages. Changes in whole-bone stiffness and strength reflected the changes in bone size, with a rapid increase from 2 to 7 months, followed by little or no change. In contrast, energy-to-fracture declined with aging. Cortical tissue mineral density increased during growth and was maintained with aging. MicroCT of trabecular bone revealed age-related changes that were site-dependent. The proximal tibia showed a clear pattern of age-related decline in trabecular BV/TV, with progressive decreases after 4 months in both sexes; lumbar vertebra L5 had more modest age-related declines; in contrast, caudal vertebra Ca7 had increasing BV/TV with aging. Overall, we found no evidence that females had more pronounced age-related deterioration than males. We conclude that bones from aging female and male BALB/c mice exhibit many of the changes seen in humans and are therefore a clinically relevant model for studies of skeletal aging.Keywords
This publication has 35 references indexed in Scilit:
- Postpubertal Architectural Developmental Patterns Differ Between the L3 Vertebra and Proximal Tibia in Three Inbred Strains of MiceJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2020
- Site-Specific Deterioration of Trabecular Bone Architecture in Men and Women With Advancing AgeJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2008
- Genetic Variation in Bone Growth Patterns Defines Adult Mouse Bone FragilityJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2005
- Genetic Variation in Structure-Function Relationships for the Inbred Mouse Lumbar Vertebral BodyJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2005
- Morphological and mechanical properties of caudal vertebrae in the SAMP6 mouse model of senile osteoporosisBone, 2004
- Long Bones From the Senescence Accelerated Mouse SAMP6 Have Increased Size But Reduced Whole‐bone Strength and Resistance to FractureJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2002
- Age- and Gender-Related Differences in Vertebral Bone Mass, Density, and StrengthJournal of Bone and Mineral Research, 1999
- Changes in quantitative bone histomorphometry in aging healthy menJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1996
- The effects of ageing and changes in mineral content in degrading the toughness of human femoraJournal of Biomechanics, 1996
- Mathematical model for repair of fatigue damage and stress fracture in osteonal boneJournal of Orthopaedic Research, 1995