Output details

Osteopontin deficiency increases bone fragility but preserves bone mass

Significance of output:

Age-related bone fragility results in over £1 billion NHS spending every year. Diagnosis is not reliable as it only assesses bone mass – based on the assumption that mechanical properties of bone material do not change with age. Yet it has been shown that the amount of so-called “Noncollagenous” proteins decreases with age. This paper shows the implications of the deficiency of such a protein, osteopontin, in an animal model: While bone mass is unaffected the fracture toughness is significantly reduced. This insight is a basis for complementary diagnostic tools and treatments tackling bone quality.