Knee posture predicted from subchondral apparent density in the distal femur: an experimental validation

Spatial patterning in the apparent density of subchondral bone can be used to discriminate between species that differ in their joint loading conditions. This study provides an experimental test of two hypotheses that relate aspects of subchondral apparent density patterns to joint loading conditions. First, the region of maximum subchondral apparent density (RMD) will correspond to differences in joint posture at the time of peak locomotor loads; and second, differences in maximum density between individuals will correspond to differences in exercise level. These hypotheses were tested using three age-matched samples of juvenile sheep. Two groups of five sheep were exercised, at moderate walking speeds, twice daily for 45 days on a treadmill with either a 0% or 15% grade. The remaining sheep were not exercised. Sheep walking on the inclined treadmill used more flexed knee postures than those in the level walking group at the time of peak vertical ground reaction forces. Kinematic measurements of knee posture were compared with knee postures estimated from the spatial position of the RMD on the medial femoral condyle. Our results show that the difference in the position of the RMD between the incline and level walking groups corresponded to the difference in knee postures obtained kinematically; however, exercised and nonexercised sheep did not differ in the magnitude of apparent density. These results suggest that patterns of subchondral apparent density are good indicators of the experimental modifications in joint posture during locomotion and may, therefore, be used to investigate differences between species in habitual joint loading.