Brief Article
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World J Orthop. Jul 18, 2013; 4(3): 124-129
Published online Jul 18, 2013. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v4.i3.124
Biomechanical characteristics of bone in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: An in-vivo randomized controlled experimental study
Nektarios Korres, Eleftherios Tsiridis, George Pavlou, Athanasios Mitsoudis, Despina N Perrea, Aristedes B Zoumbos
Nektarios Korres, KAT First Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma, 14561 Athens, Greece
Eleftherios Tsiridis, Academic Orthopaedics and Trauma Unit, Division of Surgery, Aristotle University Medical School, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
George Pavlou, Department of Orthopaedics, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry SY10 7AG, United Kingdom
Athanasios Mitsoudis, Department of Biomechanics, School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens, 14561 Athens, Greece
Despina N Perrea, Department of Experimental Surgical Research “N.S. Christeas”, Athens University Medical School, 14561 Athens, Greece
Aristedes B Zoumbos, Department of Orthopaedics, Academic Orthopaedic Department “Attikon” Hospital, Athens University Medical School, 14561 Athens, Greece
Author contributions: Korres N conributed performed the original research; Tisridis E contributed to the idea, analysis and write up; Pavlou G contributed to the write up, editing and submission process; Mitsoudis A contributed to the mechanical testing and analysis of data; Perrea DN contributed to the original reserach and animal study; Zoumbos AB contributed academic support and editing.
Correspondence to: Eleftherios Tsiridis, MD, MSc, DMed, PhD, FRCS, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics, Academic Orthopaedics and Trauma Unit, Division of Surgery, Aristotle University Medical School, University Campus, Salonika 570, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece. etsiridis@doctors.org.uk
Telephone: +30-697-6439739 Fax: +30-697-6439739
Received: December 25, 2012
Revised: March 22, 2013
Accepted: May 9, 2013
Published online: July 18, 2013
Processing time: 214 Days and 2.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: The bones of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats are more fragile with reduced toughness, characterized by a reduction in the capacity to absorb energy and with lower forces required to induce fracture in comparison to those in the control group. Our findings confirm previous studies and lend weight to the literature describing the detrimental relationship between the mechanical properties of bone subjected to diabetes mellitus. Further research needs to be conducted to ascertain whether uncontrolled diabetes in a human population affects the structural and biomechanical properties of bone.