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3D Ultrasound Imaging: Fast and Cost-effective Morphometry of Musculoskeletal Tissue

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Published on: November 27, 2017

Skeletal effects of long-duration head-down bed rest.

Elisabeth R Spector¹, Scott M Smith, Jean D Sibonga

¹Bone and Mineral Laboratory, Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine

|May 30, 2009

Summary

Skeletal unloading from bed rest causes significant bone mineral density loss, averaging 1% monthly in the hip, pelvis, and heel. Bone remodeling is disrupted, with increased resorption and no change in formation.

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Area of Science:

Spaceflight research
Skeletal physiology
Bone mineral density

Background:

Spaceflight leads to bone mineral density (BMD) loss, particularly in the spine and lower body.
This skeletal mass reduction poses risks to astronaut health and mission success.
Head-down bed rest serves as a validated analog for studying spaceflight-induced skeletal disuse.

Purpose of the Study:

To collect control data for future countermeasure studies.
To analyze skeletal changes during prolonged unloading.
To assess bone mineral density recovery after unloading.

Main Methods:

13 subjects underwent 42-90 days of continuous head-down bed rest.
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measured BMD changes in the whole body, spine, hip, heel, and wrist.
Bone mineral density recovery was tracked at 6 and 12 months post-bed rest.

Main Results:

Statistically significant BMD loss averaged 1% per month in the hip, pelvis, and heel.
Bone resorption increased without a corresponding increase in bone formation, indicating uncoupled remodeling.
Recovery patterns mirrored those observed after actual spaceflight.

Conclusions:

The NASA Flight Analogs Project (FAP) is a valid model for skeletal disuse research.
This study provides crucial control data for evaluating spaceflight bone loss countermeasures.
The FAP offers a valuable platform for advancing research into skeletal adaptation to unloading.