Output details
15 - General Engineering
University of Southampton
The effect of NaF in vitro on the mechanical and material properties of trabecular and cortical bone
Significance of output:
Diagnosis of bone fracture risk relies heavily on bone mineral density (BMD). Yet the costs for the NHS are rising due to increasing osteoporotic fractures as diagnosis is often unreliable. This paper shows that high doses of NaF severely impair the mechanical properties of bone but preserve BMD and collagen - the predominant structural protein in bone. This shows two things: 1) that the diagnostic parameter for osteoporosis, BMD, is truly not a good predictor of bone fracture resistance and 2) that the application of NaF as an osteoporosis drug needs careful management to prevent deterioration of bone matrix properties.
