Heterogeneity and Spatial Distribution of Intravertebral Trabecular Bone Mineral Density in the Lumbar Spine Is Associated With Prevalent Vertebral Fracture.

The spatial heterogeneity in trabecular bone density within the vertebral centrum is associated with vertebral strength and could explain why volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) exhibits low sensitivity in identifying fracture risk. This study evaluated whether the heterogeneity and spatial distribution of trabecular vBMD are associated with prevalent vertebral fracture. We examined the volumetric quantitative computed tomography (QCT) scans of the L vertebra in 148 participants in the Framingham Heart Study Multidetector CT study.

Correspondence between bone mineral density and intervertebral disc degeneration across age and sex.

Unlabelled: The distribution of bone tissue within the vertebra can modulate vertebral strength independently of average density and may change with age and disc degeneration. Our results show that the age-associated decrease in bone density is spatially non-uniform and associated with disc health, suggesting a mechanistic interplay between disc and vertebra.

Purpose: While the decline of bone mineral density (BMD) in the aging spine is well established, the extent to which age influences BMD distribution within the vertebra is less clear.

Relationship of Normalized Protein Catabolic Rate with Nutrition Status and Long-Term Survival in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

The normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR) reflects daily dietary protein intake in stable dialysis patients. In peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, reports about the importance of nPCR as marker of nutrition and outcome have been inconsistent. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationships of nPCR with body composition parameters, micronutrient electrolytes, and long-term survival in PD patients.

Quantitative, 3D Visualization of the Initiation and Progression of Vertebral Fractures Under Compression and Anterior Flexion.

The biomechanical mechanisms leading to vertebral fractures are not well understood. Clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that the vertebral endplate plays a key role in failure of the vertebra as a whole, but how this role differs for different types of vertebral loading is not known. Mechanical testing of human thoracic spine segments, in conjunction with time-lapsed micro-computed tomography, enabled quantitative assessment of deformations occurring throughout the entire vertebral body under axial compression combined with anterior flexion ("combined loading") and under axial compression only ("compression loading").