Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
10:35
Precision Measurements and Parametric Models of Vertebral Endplates
Published on: September 17, 2019
Vertebral endplate morphology follows bone remodeling principles
Nicole M Grosland1, Vijay K Goel
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. nicole-grosland@uiowa.edu
Spine
|November 6, 2007
Summary
This study used a finite element model to predict optimal lumbar vertebral density and thickness, finding that bone adapts its morphology based on mechanical principles for optimal structure.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Computational modeling
- Bone remodeling
Background:
- Regional variations in bone density are known.
- Endplate density and thickness increase towards the vertebral periphery.
- Subchondral bone may optimize morphology via bone remodeling principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- Theoretically predict optimal vertebral density.
- Determine optimal thickness of vertebral cortex and endplates.
- Investigate bone remodeling principles in vertebral morphology.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a finite element model coupled with an iterative bone remodeling algorithm.
- Applied an adaptive remodeling algorithm driven by strain energy density.
- Considered both internal and external bone remodeling in a 3D finite element model of the L3-L5 spinal segment.
Main Results:
- Vertebral cortex density approached that of cortical bone.
- Anterior cortex thickness exceeded posterior shell and endplate thickness.
- Endplates thinned centrally and thickened peripherally, especially under the nucleus.
Conclusions:
- Adaptive bone remodeling theory can describe vertebral bone morphology changes.
- Mechanical adaptive processes influence vertebral bone structure.
- Model findings align with experimental observations of vertebral bone adaptation.
Related Concept Videos
01:40Bone Remodeling
Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.
01:30General Structure of a Vertebra
A typical vertebra, with the exception of the sacrum and coccyx, consists of a body, a vertebral arch, and seven different projections termed processes. The anterior portion of the vertebrae, the body, supports about half the body’s weight. The vertebral bodies progressively increase in size and thickness from the cervical region to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The intervertebral discs present between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae firmly unites them, forming a continuous column.
01:31Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...
01:16Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature
The vertebral column or spine is a flexible column that supports the head, neck, and body and allows for their movements. It also protects the spinal cord.
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form the...
01:24Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
Bone formation, or ossification, begins around the sixth to seventh week of embryonic development. Most bones develop from a cartilaginous template through the process of endochondral ossification. Cartilage formation begins when clusters of mesenchymal cells differentiate into chondrocytes. These chondrocytes proliferate rapidly and secrete an extracellular matrix that becomes encased in a membrane called the perichondrium. The resulting cartilage model provides a template that resembles the...
01:31Bone Remodeling and Repair
Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during bone...