| Abstract: | The hibernating bear is an excellent model for disuse osteoporosis in humans because it is a naturally occurring large animal model. Furthermore, bears and humans have similar lower limb skeletal morphology, and bears walk plantigrade like humans. Black bears (Ursus americanus) may not develop disuse osteoporosis during long periods of disuse (i.e. hibernation) because they maintain osteoblastic bone formation during hibernation. As a consequence, bone volume, mineral content, porosity, and strength are not adversely affected by annual periods of disuse. In fact, cortical bone bending strength has been shown to increase with age in hibernating black bears without a significant change in porosity. Other animals require remobilization periods 2-3 times longer than the immobilization period to recover the bone lost during disuse. Our findings support the hypothesis that black bears, which hibernate for as long as 5-7 months annually, have evolved biological mechanisms to mitigate the adverse effects of disuse on bone porosity and strength. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70028285 |
| Citation Author: | Donahue, S. W.; McGee, M. E.; Harvey, K. B.; Vaughan, M. R.; Robbins, C. T. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | |
| Citation Datum: | |
| Citation Day: | |
| Citation Edition: | |
| Citation Editor: | |
| Citation End Page: | 1488 |
| Citation Issue: | 8 |
| Citation Keywords: | |
| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Journal of Biomechanics |
| Citation LatN: | |
| Citation LatS: | |
| Citation LonE: | |
| Citation LonW: | |
| Citation Month: | |
| Citation No Pagination: | |
| Citation Number Of Pages: | 9 |
| Citation Online Only Flag: | |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | |
| Citation Projection: | |
| Citation Public Comments: | |
| Citation Publisher: | |
| Citation Series: | |
| Citation Series Code: | |
| Citation Series Number: | |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Hibernating bears as a model for preventing disuse osteoporosis; 2006; Article; Journal; Journal of Biomechanics; Donahue, S. W.; McGee, M. E.; Harvey, K. B.; Vaughan, M. R.; Robbins, C. T. |
| Citation Start Page: | 1480 |
| Citation Volume: | 39 |
| Citation Year: | 2006 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Hibernating bears as a model for preventing disuse osteoporosis; 2006; Article; Journal; Journal of Biomechanics; Donahue, S. W.; McGee, M. E.; Harvey, K. B.; Vaughan, M. R.; Robbins, C. T. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2005.03.030 |
| Date Other: | Sun, 1 Jan 2006 00:00 -0600 |
| Publisher: | |
