Effect of Alendronate on Bone Fatigue and Microdamage with and without Adaptation

Funding:

Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation

Principal Investigator:

Laura J. Prokuski, MD

Lab Website:

(Lab website not available at this time)

Project Summary:

It is unquestioned that fatigue fractures in the elderly, in military recruits, and in running athletes are important clinical problems. Bone responds to a fatigue fracture with targeted repair of microdamage and adaptation. Fundamental understanding of how the adaptive response to cyclic load varies under different conditions will provide insight into the treatment of bone injury in at-risk populations. The long-range goal of this project is to identify the key mechanotransduction pathways that regulate bone adaptation to fatiguing cyclic loads. This includes evaluation the adaptive response to cyclic loading in different environments. The understanding of what conditions enhance the adaptive response of bone are critical in determining ways to maintain a low fracture risk in cyclically loaded bone. This grant involves an investigation into the effect that alendronate has on the mechanical and histomorphometric properties of bone in a fatigue fracture model. Specifically, the effect of alendronate administered prior to, or subsequent to, a near-catastrophic cyclic strain application will be examined. The effect of alendronate on the adaptive response of the fatigued and control bones will be examined.

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