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An SEM comparison of normal and post-menopausal osteoporotic trabecular bone
Micron, Vol.:12, No.3, pp.295-296, 1 9 8 ]
0047-7206/81/030295-02502.00/0 01981 Pergamon Press Ltd.
Printed in Great Britain.
AN SEM COMPARISONOF NORMALAND POSTMENOPAUSALOSTEOPOROTICTRABECULARBONE
K. L. Lincoln, G. J. Kolaja and J. Mathews Kalamazoo College and The Upjohn Company
Many women develop the bone disease osteoporosis after menopause, which causes pain and increased risk of fractures (Jacobs, 1979). Since osteoporosi$ is primarily a surface phenomena, the scanning electron microscope is particularly well-suited to a study of this disease process. The bone samples, taken from cadavers, were made anorganic and processed for SEM, using with slight modifications the method of Dempster, Elder, and Smith (1979). A comparison of control and osteoporotic bone surfaces at low magnifications indicates that osteoporotic bone has much thinner spicules and cortical bone, which correlates with gross observations of increased f r a g i l i t y in these samples. At higher magnifications, resorption bays of osteoporotic bone appeared "older," less "fresh," and twice the size of control bays. This would seem to indicate that osteoblastic cell populations do not f i l l in resorbed areas with new bone as quickly in osteoporosis. Mineralization fronts appeared similar in both bone types as did the location of the major areas of resorption (at the base of spicules), indicating that resorption, bone formation, and mineralization when they occur are normal, but that there is an imbalance between the loss of old bone and the formation of new resulting in osteoporotic-type bone. Jacobs, M. D. (1979). Vitamin D deficient states-pathophysiology and treatment. West J. Med., 131, 305-312. Dempster, D. W., H. Y. Elder, and D. A. Smith (1979). Scanning electron microscopy of rachitic rat bone. Scannin9 Electron M!croscopy/1979/II, 513-520. Keywords--SEM, bone, resorption, postmenopausal osteoporosis, trabecular, surface, comparison
295
296
K.L.
Lincoln, G. J. Kolaja and J. Mathews
Fig. I . Normal bone consists of a t h i c k cortex ~lith sturdy trabecular spicules. Bar=l mm
Fig, bone has a much thinner cortex. The trabecular spicules are very f i n e and f r a g i l e . Bar=l mm
g, 2. Resorption bays from normal bone have sharp d i s t i n c t edges ~lith r e l a t i v e l y smooth surfaces. Bar=lO um
porotic bone have granular surfaces and are about 2x normal size. The edges of the bays are less d i s t i n c t than those of normal samples. Bar=lO lJm
0047-7206/81/030295-02502.00/0 01981 Pergamon Press Ltd.
Printed in Great Britain.
AN SEM COMPARISONOF NORMALAND POSTMENOPAUSALOSTEOPOROTICTRABECULARBONE
K. L. Lincoln, G. J. Kolaja and J. Mathews Kalamazoo College and The Upjohn Company
Many women develop the bone disease osteoporosis after menopause, which causes pain and increased risk of fractures (Jacobs, 1979). Since osteoporosi$ is primarily a surface phenomena, the scanning electron microscope is particularly well-suited to a study of this disease process. The bone samples, taken from cadavers, were made anorganic and processed for SEM, using with slight modifications the method of Dempster, Elder, and Smith (1979). A comparison of control and osteoporotic bone surfaces at low magnifications indicates that osteoporotic bone has much thinner spicules and cortical bone, which correlates with gross observations of increased f r a g i l i t y in these samples. At higher magnifications, resorption bays of osteoporotic bone appeared "older," less "fresh," and twice the size of control bays. This would seem to indicate that osteoblastic cell populations do not f i l l in resorbed areas with new bone as quickly in osteoporosis. Mineralization fronts appeared similar in both bone types as did the location of the major areas of resorption (at the base of spicules), indicating that resorption, bone formation, and mineralization when they occur are normal, but that there is an imbalance between the loss of old bone and the formation of new resulting in osteoporotic-type bone. Jacobs, M. D. (1979). Vitamin D deficient states-pathophysiology and treatment. West J. Med., 131, 305-312. Dempster, D. W., H. Y. Elder, and D. A. Smith (1979). Scanning electron microscopy of rachitic rat bone. Scannin9 Electron M!croscopy/1979/II, 513-520. Keywords--SEM, bone, resorption, postmenopausal osteoporosis, trabecular, surface, comparison
295
296
K.L.
Lincoln, G. J. Kolaja and J. Mathews
Fig. I . Normal bone consists of a t h i c k cortex ~lith sturdy trabecular spicules. Bar=l mm
Fig, bone has a much thinner cortex. The trabecular spicules are very f i n e and f r a g i l e . Bar=l mm
g, 2. Resorption bays from normal bone have sharp d i s t i n c t edges ~lith r e l a t i v e l y smooth surfaces. Bar=lO um
porotic bone have granular surfaces and are about 2x normal size. The edges of the bays are less d i s t i n c t than those of normal samples. Bar=lO lJm