Title
Biochemical development of subchondral bone from birth until age eleven months and the influence of physical activity
Author
Brama, P.A.J.
TeKoppele, J.M.
Bank, R.A.
Barneveld, A.
van Weeren, P.R.
Gaubius instituut TNO
Publication year
2002
Abstract
Subchondral bone provides structural support to the overlying articular cartilage, and plays an important role in osteochondral diseases. There is growing insight that the mechanical features of bone are related to the biochemistry of the collagen network and the mineral content. In the present study, part of the normal developmental process and the influence of physical activity on biochemical composition of subchondral bone was studied. Water content, calcium content and characteristics of the collagen network (collagen, hydroxylysine, lysylpyridinoline (LP) and hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP) crosslinking) of subchondral bone were measured in newborn foals, 5-month-old foals (pasture-grown and box-confined) and 11-month-old foals at 2 differently loaded sites of the proximal articular surface of the first phalanx. During the first 5 months postpartum, water and hydroxylysine content decreased significantly while calcium and collagen content and the amount of HP and LP crosslinks increased significantly. The withholding of physical activity during this developmental phase affected the biochemical characteristics of subchondral bone only at the site that is loaded during physical exercise. At this site, calcium content and both HP and LP crosslink levels increased significantly less than in pasture-raised animals. During development from 5-11 months, measured parameters remained essentially constant, except for water content, which decreased further. It is concluded that substantial changes, presumed to be largely exercise-driven, take place during the normal process of development in the biochemical composition of equine subchondral bone. Normal development of subchondral bone is presumably important for the normal functional adaptation of this bone to the loading conditions it is subjected to and therefore essential to resist the future biomechanical challenges the horse will encounter during its athletic career. The findings from this study and the assumed important role of subchondral bone quality in the pathogenesis of osteochondral disease merit more attention to the role of the collagen network in subchondral bone.
Subject
Health Biology
Biomedical Research
Collagen
Development
Exercise
Horse
Subchondral bone
Calcium
Collagen
Deoxypyridinoline
Hydroxylysine
Water
Amino acid
Pyridinoline
Adaptation
Animal experiment
Articular cartilage
Athlete
Birth
Bone development
Bone disease
Bone growth
Career
Chemical composition
Chondropathy
Controlled study
Cross linking
Developmental stage
Horse
Loading test
Muscle exercise
Newborn
Nonhuman
Pasture
Pathogenesis
Phalanx
Physical activity
Provocation test
Puerperium
Surface property
Water content
Animal
Bone
Bone density
Chemistry
Growth, development and aging
Horse disease
Metabolism
Pathology
Physiology
Weight bearing
Animalia
Equidae
Equus caballus
Amino Acids
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Bone and Bones
Bone Density
Bone Development
Calcium
Collagen
Horse Diseases
Horses
Physical Conditioning, Animal
Water
Weight-Bearing
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TNO identifier
236477
ISSN
0425-1644
Source
Equine Veterinary Journal, 34 (2), 143-149
Document type
article