Chronic alcohol abuse in men alters bone mechanical properties by affecting both tissue mechanical properties and...

Alcohol-induced secondary osteoporosis in men has been characterized by higher fracture prevalence and a modification of bone microarchitecture. Chronic alcohol consumption impairs bone cell activity and results in an increased fragility. A few studies highlighted effects of heavy alcohol consumption on some microarchitectural parameters of trabecular bone. But to date and to our knowledge, micro- and macro-mechanical properties of bone of alcoholic subjects have not been investigated.

In the present study, mechanical properties and microarchitecture of trabecular bone samples from the iliac crest of alcoholic male patients (n=15) were analyzed and compared to a control group (n=8).

Nanoindentation tests were performed to determine the tissue's micromechanical properties, micro-computed tomography was used to measure microarchitectural parameters, and numerical simulations provided the apparent mechanical properties of the samples.

Compared to controls, bone tissue from alcoholic patients exhibited an increase of micromechanical properties at tissue scale, a significant decrease of apparent mechanical properties at sample scale, and significant changes in several microarchitectural parameters. In particular, a crucial role of structure model index (SMI) on mechanical properties was identified.

3D microarchitectural parameters are at least as important as bone volume fraction to predict bone fracture risk in the case of alcoholic patients.