Effects of alendronate on structural properties of trabecular bone in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of alendronate on the structural properties of trabecular bone.


METHODS
Alendronate was administered at a daily p.o. dose of 0.5 mg/kg over a 12-week period in hound dogs (n = 8 for both the control and treated group), and the structural indices of the lumbar vertebral (L1 and L2) trabecular bone were assessed directly from 3-D images.


RESULTS
Treatment with alendronate increased bone volume fraction by 9.5% and 7.7% in L1 and L2 respectively. Trabecular thickness significantly increased after alendronate treatment, whereas trabecular separation remained constant. The degree of anisotropy for the alendronate-treated group was decreased compared with that of the control group. Bone surface to volume ratio declined significantly in the alendronate-treated group, whereas alendronate induced a higher bone surface density.


CONCLUSIONS
Alendronate increased the structural properties of canine trabecular bone after short-term treatment at a dose of 0.5 mg x k(-1) x day(-1).
Jianhua
Hu
H
Department of Orthopaedics, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730.
Liang
Zhang
Z
Lilian
Zhao
Z
Gongyi
Huang
H
D019386:Alendronate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D001699:Biometry / Q000379:methods; D015519:Bone Density; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects
D019386:Alendronate