title: A human experimental bone pain model.
abstract: The aim of this study was to develop a human experimental bone pain model. Fourteen healthy men were included in two study sessions. Pressure pain threshold (PPT) was estimated using probes of different sizes. Computer-controlled and hand-held algometry were applied to the skin area covering right and left medial tibia before and after local anaesthesia (LA) of the skin and reproducibility was evaluated. Pain experience (McGill questionnaire) was compared between healthy volunteers and 12 patients with vertebral fractures. Computer-controlled algometer: No differences in PPT between study sessions for 6 and 8-mm probes (p = 0.43 and 0.32) were seen. There was a difference in PPT before and after LA for the 6-mm probe (p = 0.008), but not for the 8-mm probe (p = 0.26). Hand-held algometer: A difference in PPT between study sessions was observed for 4- and 8-mm probes (p = 0.03 and 0.007), but not for 2, 6 and 10-mm probes (p = 0.19, 0.05 and 0.25). No differences in PPT were seen before and after LA for 2, 4, 8 and 10-mm probes (p = 0.35, 0.15, 0.08 and 0.53), but LA significantly influenced PPT with the 6-mm probe (p = 0.01). Similar words were chosen in the McGill pain questionnaire by healthy volunteers and patients, qualitatively describing the deep pain sensation. The pain evoked by hand-held algometer and the 2-mm probe was not influenced by LA, and PPT was reproducible between sessions and is recommended for studies of experimentally evoked bone-associated pain.
authors.affiliation: Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. tran@rn.dk
authors.forename: Trine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Andresen
authors.forename: Mogens
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer-Jensen
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: Asbjørn M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drewes
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arendt-Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D011312:Pressure; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013977:Tibia; D055815:Young Adult