title: Bone turnover markers in sheep and goat: A review of the scientific literature.
abstract: Bone turnover markers (BTMs) are product of bone cell activity and are generally divided in bone formation and bone resorption markers. The purpose of this review was to structure the available information on the use of BTMs in studies on small ruminants, especially for monitoring their variations related to diet, exercise, gestation and metabolic lactation state, circadian and seasonal variations, and also during skeletal growth. Pre-clinical and translational studies using BTMs with sheep and goats as animal models in orthopaedic research studies to help in the evaluation of the fracture healing process and osteoporosis research are also described in this review. The available information from the reviewed studies was systematically organized in order to highlight the most promising BTMs in small ruminant research, as well as provide a wide view of the use of sheep and goat as animal models in orthopaedic research, type of markers and commercial assay kits with cross-reactivity in sheep and goat, method of sample and storage of serum and urine for bone turnover markers determination and the usefulness and limitations of bone turnover markers in the different studies, therefore an effective tool for researchers that seek answers to different questions while using BTMs in small ruminants.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Veterinary Sciences, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences School/ ECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro/ UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Camassa
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Veterinary Sciences, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences School/ ECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro/ UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Camila C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Diogo
authors.affiliation: Center Hospitalar of Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences/ ECAV, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.|Centre for Animal Sciences and Veterinary Studies/ CECAV, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Azevedo
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Veterinary Sciences, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences School/ ECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro/ UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.|Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences/ CITAB, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Viegas
authors.affiliation: 3B's Research Group - Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, Avepark - Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco GMR, Portugal.|Life and Health Sciences Research Institute/ ICVS, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho Campus de Gualtar 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minho, Azurém Campus, 4804-533 Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dourado
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Veterinary Sciences, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences School/ ECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro/ UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.|Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences/ CITAB, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers