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06:44
Cantilever Bending of Murine Femoral Necks
Published on: January 5, 2022
Bone geometry according to menstrual function in female endurance athletes
R L Duckham1, N Peirce, C A Bailey
1School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK. r.l.duckham@lboro.ac.uk
Calcified Tissue International
|January 31, 2013
Summary
Female athletes with regular periods have higher bone density and strength than those with irregular periods or non-athletes. Amenorrheic athletes show reduced bone mass, not structural changes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Athletes generally exhibit higher bone mineral density (BMD) than non-athletes.
- Estrogen deficiency in amenorrheic athletes may compromise BMD, but structural adaptations are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare femoral neck bone geometry and density among amenorrheic/oligomenorrheic athletes (AAs), eumenorrheic athletes (EAs), and eumenorrheic controls (ECs).
Main Methods:
- 156 women (68 athletes, 88 controls) were recruited.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured femoral neck BMD, section modulus (Z), and width.
- Menstrual function classified participants as EA (≥10 periods/year) or AA (≤9 periods/year).
Main Results:
- Eumenorrheic athletes (EAs) had significantly higher femoral neck BMD than amenorrheic athletes (AAs) (8% difference) and eumenorrheic controls (ECs) (11% difference).
- EAs also showed significantly higher femoral neck section modulus (Z) than ECs (11% difference), indicating greater bone strength.
- Femoral neck width did not differ between groups; differences in BMD and Z persisted after adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Higher femoral neck Z and BMD in athletes, with similar width, suggest exercise-induced bone gains are endosteal.
- Amenorrheic athletes had less bone mass rather than altered bone structure.
- Controls may maintain femoral neck width as an adaptation to inactivity-related bone loss.
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