Summary
A histomorphometric analysis were made on iliac crest biopsies from eight healthy male volunteers submitted to a 4-month antiorthostatic bedrest. Bone mass and bone cell parameters, reflecting resorption and formation activities, were measured before and after the bedrest period. Trabecular bone volume and mean cortical thickness were not modified despite a decreased number of trabeculae and nonsignificant increase of the trabecular thickness; total and active resorption surfaces and the number of osteollast per mm2 of trabecular surfaces do not vary significantly. Osteoid thickness does not vary but we found a reduced osteoid surface and a nonsignificant decreased osteoid volume. Our results suggest that bone architecture may be more affected by the reduction of mechanical forces than the bone mass. These modifications were supposed to be the result of an accelerated bone turnover in the early stage of immobilization. In this study, we failed to find disuse osteoporosis; however, we must point out that the new organization of the trabecutae could affect the bone mechanical properties.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Donaldson CL, Hulley SB, Vogel JM, Hattner RS, Bayers JH, McMillan DE (1970) Effect of prolonged bed-rest on bone mineral. Metabolism 19:1071–1084
Schneider VS (1981) Modification of negative calcium balance and bone mineral loss during prolonged bed-rest. NASA Terminal Report, #T-66D, Vol. I–III
Mazess RB, Whedon GD (1983) Immobilization and bone. Calcif Tissue Int 35:265–267
Leblanc A, Schneider V, Krebs J, Evans H, Jhingran S, Johnson P (1987) Spinal bone mineral after 5 weeks of bed-rest. Calcif Tissue Int 41:259–261
Whedon GD (1984) Disuse osteoporosis: physiological aspects. Calcif Tissue Int 36:S146-S150
Morukov BV, Orlov OI, Grigoriev AI (1985) Calcium homeostasis in prolonged hypokinesia. Clin Orthop Rel Res 199:284–291
Minaire P, Meunier P, Edouard C, Bernard J, Courpron P, Bourret J (1974) Quantitative histological data on disuse osteoporosis: comparison with biological data. Calcif Tissue Res 17: 57–73
Vico L, Chappard D, Alexandre C, Palle S, Minaire P, Riffat G, Morukov B, Rakhamanov S (1987) Effects of a 120 day period of bed-rest on bone mass and bone cell activities in man: attempts at countermeasure. Bone Miner 2:383–394
Chappard D, Alexandre C, Palle S, Vico L, Morukov BV, Rodionova SS, Minaire P, Riffat G (1989) Effects of a biphosphonic (1-hydroxy ethylidene-1, 1-biphosphonic acid) on osteoclast number during prolonged bed-rest in healthy humans. Metabolism 38(9):822–825
Jowsey J (1971) Bone at the cellular level: the effects of inactivity. In: Murray RH, McCalley M (eds) Hypogravic and hypodynamic environments. NASA Sp-269:111–119
Morey-Holtone E, Wronski TJ (1981) Animal models for simulating weightlessness. Physiologie 24(6):S45–46
Morey-Holton ER, Maese AC, Fast TN (1988) Effect of 40 day suspension on growth and development of young rats. ASGSB Bull (abstract 61) 1:33
Li XJ, Jee WSS, Chow SY, Woodbury DM (1990) Adaptation of cancellous bone to aging and immobilization in rat: a single photon absortiometry and histomorphometry study. Anat Rec 222:12–24
Frost HM (1990) Skeletal structural adaptations to mechanical usage (SATMU): 2. Redefining Wolff'law: the remodeling problem. Anat Rec 226:414–422
Frost HM (1987) The mechanostat: a proposed pathogenic mechanism of osteoporoses and the bone mass effects of mechanical and nonmechanical agent. Bone Miner 2:73–85
Ushakov AS, Spirichev VB, Belakovsky MS, Sergeev IN, Kondratyev YI (1983) Calcium-phosphorus metabolism and prevention of its disorders in hypokinetic rats. Physiologie 26:S112-S113
Ushakov AS, Sergeevi N, Belakovsky MS, Spirichev VB, Kaplansky AS, Shvets VN (1985) Specific regulation of calciumphosphorus metabolism during hypokinesia and weightlessness by vitamin D3 active metabolites. Clin Orthop 182:278–283
Vico L, Chappard D (1988) Trabecular bone remodeling after seven days of weightlessness exposure (Biocosmos 1667). Am Physiol Soc 24:R243-R247
Morey ER, Baylink DJ (1978) Inhibition of bone formation during space flight. Science 201:1138–1141
Turner RT, Morey ER, Lin C, Baylink DJ (1979) Altered bone turnover during space flight. Physiology 22:S573-S574
Simmons DJ, Russel JE (1980) Bone growth in the mandible during space flight. Physiology 23:S87-S90
Simmons DJ (1981) Adaptation of the rat skeleton to weightlessness and its physiological mechanisms. Results of animal experiments aboard the Cosmos 1129 Biosatellite. Physiology 24(6):S65-S68
France EP, Oloff CM, Kazarian LE (1982) Bone mineral analysis of rat vertebra following space flight: Cosmos 1129. Physiology 25(6):S147-S148
Cann CE, Oganov VS, Rachmanov AS (1988) Bed-rest induced bone loss is greater in the posterior than anterior spine and correlates with muscle atrophy. 5th Intal Cong on Bone Morphometry (abstract 113) Program and Abstracts-July 24–29, p 97, Niigata, Japon
Wronski TJ, Morey ER (1983) Inhibition of cortical and trabecular bone formation in the long bones of immobilized monkeys. Clin Orthop 181:269–275
Whedon GD (1982) Changes in weightlessness in calcium metabolism and in the musculoskeletal system. Physiology 25:S41-S44
Anderson SA, Stanton MC (1985) Bone demineralization during space flight. LSRO Reports. Physiology 28(4):212–217
Alexandre C, Chappard D, Vico L, Minaire P, Riffat G (1986) Effets de l'apesanteur sur le métabolisme phosphocalcique et le remodelage osseux. Presse Med 15(20):923–927
Smith MC, Rambaut PC, Vogel JM, Whittle MW (1977) Bone mineral measurement-experiment MO78. In: Johnston RS, Dietlein LF (eds) Biomedical results from Skylab. Washington DC, NASA: 183–190
Greenleaf JE (1984) Physiological responses to prolonged bedrest and fluid immersion in humans. J Appl Physiol 57(3):619–633
Chappard D, Alexandre C, Camps M, Montheard JP, Riffat G (1983) Embedding iliac bone biopsies at low temperature using glycol and methyl methacrylates. Stain Technol 58(5):299–308
Chappard D, Alexandre C, Riffat G (1983) Histochemical identification of osteoclasts. Review of current methods and reappraisal of a simple procedure for routine diagnosis on undecalcified human iliac bone biopsies. Bas Appl Histochem 27:75–85
Parfitt AM (1983) Stereologic basis of bone histomorphometry: theory of quantitative microscopy and reconstruction of the third dimension. In: Recker RR (ed) Bone histomorphometry: techniques and interpretation. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp 53–89
Frost HM (1983) The regional acceleratory phenomenon. A review. Henry Ford Hosp Med J 31:3–9
Frost HM (1986) Intermediary organization of the skeleton, vols I and II. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL
Parfitt AM (1988) Bone remodelling: relationship to the amount and structure of bone, and the pathogenesis and prevention of fractures. In: Riggs BL, Melton LJ III (eds) Osteoporosis etiology, diagnosis and management. Raven Press, New York, pp 45–99
Arnaud SB, Morey-Holton E (1990) Gravity, calcium and bone: update, 1989. Physiology 33(1):S65-S68
Arnaud SB, Sherrard DJ, Maloney N, Whalen RT, Fung P (1989) Reduced bone formation is measurable in the iliac crest of normal men after 7 days in a bed-rest model of weightlessness. J Bone Miner Res suppl 4 1:S233
Arnaud SB, Powell MR, Vernikos DJ, Buchanan P (1988) Bone mineral and body composition after 30 day head down tilt bedrest. J Bone Miner Res (abstract) 3, S1:204:S119
Uhthoff HK, Sekaly G, Jaworski ZFG (1985) Effect of long-term non-traumatic immobilization on metaphyseal spongiosa in young adult and old beagle dogs. Clin Orthop Rel Res 192:278–283
Uhthoff HK, Jaworski ZFG (1988) Bone loss in response to long-term immobilisation, J Bone Miner Res 3(3):305–310
Frost HM (1963) Bone remodeling dynamics. CC Thomas, Springfield, IL
Frost HM (1988) Vital biomechanics: general concepts for structural adaptations to mechanical usage. Calcif Tissue Int 42:145–146
Stupakov GP, Kazeikin VS, Morukov BV (1989) Microgravity induced changes in human bone strength (suppl.) Physiology 32:
Cann CE (1987) Technology assessment: calcium homeostasis and bone demineralization research. USRA Proceeding: Calcium Science Working Group, p 97
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Palle, S., Vico, L., Bourrin, S. et al. Bone tissue response to four-month antiorthostatic bedrest: A bone histomorphometric study. Calcif Tissue Int 51, 189–194 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334546
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334546