Johnson RB, Tsao AK, St John KR, Betcher RA, Tucci MA, Parsell D, Mushell N, Zardiackas LD, Benghuzzi HA.
ASGSB Bull. 1995 Oct; 9: 97.
School of Dentistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA.
The objective of this study was to study the structure of the tendon-bone junction in the hindlimbs of pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats flown in the NIH.R1 mission. Changes in the structure of these attachments during spaceflight could predispose the animal to injury following return to gravity. The tendon insertions on the femur, tibia and fibula were studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. Tendon and Sharpey fiber diameters, Sharpey fiber density, cortical porosity, trabecular density and proportional resorption areas were measured using histomorphometric techniques. Changes in mineralization were determined by bone ash and by X-ray diffraction of pulverized bones. Mean parameters were calculated for flight and flight simulation and vivarium controls and were compared by factorial analysis of variance and a post-hoc Tukey's test. Differences in means were considered significant when p<0.05. There were significant increases in cortical porosity and periosteal resorption throughout the bones of the flight animals; resorption at the tendon insertion sites significantly reduced Sharpey fiber density. Significant endosteal resorption and decreased trabecular volume was also evident. The patellar tendon of flight animals was reduced in circumference and the patellar fat pad increased in size. The data suggests that spaceflight results in decreased diameters of tendons and weakened tendon-bone attachments, which could make them more prone to displacement following return to Earth.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Animals
- Bone and Bones
- Female
- Femur
- Hindlimb
- Minerals
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Space Flight
- Tendons
- Tibia
- bone ash
- NASA Discipline Developmental Biology
- NASA Discipline Number 00-00
- NASA Program Flight
- Non-NASA Center
Other ID:
UI: 102222779
From Meeting Abstracts