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Updated: Apr 12, 2026
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Fragility Assessment of Bovine Cortical Bone Using Scratch Tests
Published on: November 30, 2017
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Role of cortical bone in bone fragility
Yohann Bala1, Roger Zebaze, Ego Seeman
1aLaboratoire Vibration Acoustique, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Campus LyonTech la Doua, Villeurbanne bINSERM UMR1033, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France cDepartment of Endocrinology dDepartment of Medicine, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Current Opinion in Rheumatology
|May 24, 2015
Summary
Osteoporosis research needs revision. Cortical bone loss, causing porosity, significantly impacts bone strength and fracture risk, especially in the appendicular skeleton.
Area of Science:
- Bone biology and osteoporosis research.
- Skeletal biomechanics and fragility fracture analysis.
Background:
- Historically, osteoporosis research focused on trabecular bone loss and vertebral fractures.
- This traditional view has overlooked the critical role of cortical bone deterioration in overall bone fragility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To revise the understanding of osteoporosis by highlighting the importance of cortical bone.
- To emphasize cortical bone's role in determining bone strength throughout life.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on bone fragility and osteoporosis.
- Analysis of the contribution of cortical bone remodeling to bone loss.
Main Results:
- Approximately 80% of fragility fractures occur in appendicular regions rich in cortical bone.
- Intracortical remodeling leads to cortical porosity, accounting for up to 70% of age-related bone loss in these areas.
- In vivo quantification of cortical porosity is now feasible for assessing fracture risk and treatment efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Cortical bone plays a crucial role in bone strength, with remodeling imbalances leading to porosity and thinning.
- Further research is required to establish cortical porosity as an independent predictor of fracture risk.
- Investigating porosity reduction as a surrogate marker for anti-fracture treatment efficacy is needed.
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