Chamith S. Rajapakse1, Jeremy Magland1, Peter J. Snyder2, Felix W. Wehrli1
1Laboratory for Structural NMR Imaging, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 2Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Next to bone volume fraction, the architecture of the trabecular network determines the bones mechanical competence. Here we examined the changes in Youngs and shear moduli of the trabecular bone in the distal tibia immediately following menopause in women receiving either estradiol or no treatment. Mechanical parameters were estimated on the basis of micro-finite-element analysis using grayscale MR images as input into the model. Results suggest that estradiol preserves the elastic moduli whereas absence of estrogen supplementation leads to a reduction in mechanical parameters ranging from 3-5% (p<0.005) over a 24-month period.
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