Low mechanical signals strengthen long bones

Clinton Rubin (), A. Simon Turner, Steven Bain, Craig Mallinckrodt and Kenneth McLeod
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Clinton Rubin: Musculo-Skeletal Research Laboratory, State University of New York
A. Simon Turner: Colorado State University
Steven Bain: Skeletech Inc.
Craig Mallinckrodt: Colorado State University
Kenneth McLeod: Musculo-Skeletal Research Laboratory, State University of New York

Nature, 2001, vol. 412, issue 6847, 603-604

Abstract: Abstract Although the skeleton's adaptability to load-bearing has been recognized for over a century1, the specific mechanical components responsible for strengthening it have not been identified. Here we show that after mechanically stimulating the hindlimbs of adult sheep on a daily basis for a year with 20-minute bursts of very-low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration, the density of the spongy (trabecular) bone in the proximal femur is significantly increased (by 34.2%) compared to controls. As the strain levels generated by this treatment are three orders of magnitude below those that damage bone tissue, this anabolic, non-invasive stimulus may have potential for treating skeletal conditions such as osteoporosis.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35088122

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