Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Assessment of Bone Fracture Healing Using Micro-Computed Tomography
Published on: December 9, 2022
Compositional analysis of the collagenous bone matrix. A study on adult normal and osteopenic bone tissue
1Klinik für Innere Medizin, Medizinische Universität zu Lübeck, Germany.
Abstract:
The collagenous constituents of mature bone of 30 individuals 22-93 years of age were studied by post-mortem morphological and biochemical analysis. Morphometric evaluation of the second lumbar vertebral body revealed striking interindividual differences in bone mass, mean trabecular density and mean trabecular thickness. Collagen extracted from vertebral trabecular bone by limited pepsin digestion consisted mainly of collagen I (92%) and collagen V (8%). Immunohistochemistry revealed a distinct distribution of these two collagen types within the bone matrix. The degree of lysyl hydroxylation of the alpha 2(I) collagen chain correlated inversely with the trabecular bone volume (TBV) and with the mean trabecular plate density. This correlation was statistically significant for the entire study group as well as for the female and male subgroups. Within the female subgroup, the lysyl hydroxylation/TBV ratio was higher in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women and was highest in women with established osteoporosis. No significant correlation was found between the level of lysyl hydroxylation and the age of the patients. The alpha 1(I) collagen chain showed a nearly constant degree of lysyl hydroxylation in all 30 samples. The results provide convincing evidence that morphometric changes associated with osteopenia in adult bone are accompanied by an altered level of lysyl hydroxylation of the alpha 2(I)-chain of collagen I. The biochemical alterations observed may be responsible for the deposition of a deficient bone matrix in osteopenic conditions.
Related Concept Videos
01:40Bone Remodeling
01:23Bone as Supporting Connective Tissue
Bone Matrix
Bone, or osseous tissue, is a connective tissue that has a large amount of two different types of matrix material. The organic matrix is similar to the matrix material found in other connective tissues, including some amount of collagen and elastic fibers. This gives strength and flexibility to the tissue. The inorganic matrix consists of mineral salts— mostly calcium salts— that give the...
01:18The Bone Matrix
01:27Compact Bone
Compact bone, also called cortical bone, is the denser, stronger of the two types of bone tissue. It is found under the periosteum and in the diaphyses of long bones, where it provides support and protection. The microscopic structural unit of compact bone is called an osteon, or haversian system. Each osteon is composed of concentric rings of calcified...
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:09Spongy Bone
Spongy bone is more porous, and less dense compared to compact bone. It is composed of concentric lamellae that are arranged irregularly to form the trabecular network. In some bones, the spaces between trabeculae contain red marrow, where...