title: Bone quality and growth characteristics of growth plates following limb transplantation between animals of different ages--results of an experimental study in male syngeneic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to identify graft osteoporosis post transplantation by micro-CT analysis, and the growth potential of growth plates in the transplanted limb.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten juvenile to juvenile and five juvenile to adult hind limb transplants were performed in male syngeneic Lewis rats. Upper tibial bone density in isochronograft and heterochronograft limbs was measured by 3D micro-CT and compared with that of the opposite non-operated limbs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed inferior bone quality (p < 0.05) in heterochronografts compared to isochronografts. After transplantation, isochronografts did not exhibit increases in tibial lengths compared to opposite juvenile non-operated tibias (p = 0.66) or heterochronograft tibias (p = 0.61). However, significant differences were observed between heterochrongraft tibial lengths when and opposite adult non operated tibial lengths (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age dependent alterations affect bone quality, resulting in post transplantation osteoporosis in heterochronografts, but not isochronografts. However, the growth plates of transplanted limbs retain their properties of longitudinal growth and continue to grow at the same rate.
authors: Department of Orthopedics, Scoliosis Research Institute, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hitesh N
authors: HN
authors: Modi
authors: Seung Woo
authors: SW
authors: Suh
authors: Boopalan
authors: B
authors: Prjvc
authors: Jae-Young
authors: JY
authors: Hong
authors: Jae-Hyuk
authors: JH
authors: Yang
authors: Young-Hwan
authors: YH
authors: Park
authors: Jae-Moon
authors: JM
authors: Lee
authors: Yong-Hyon
authors: YH
authors: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013977:Tibia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000637:transplantation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic