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Erschienen in:
01.03.2015 | Original Article
Exercise characteristics influence femoral cross-sectional geometry: a magnetic resonance imaging study in elite female athletes
Erschienen in: Osteoporosis International | Ausgabe 3/2015
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Summary
The associations between mid-femoral cross-sectional geometry and exercise characteristics were investigated in female athletes. The effects on bone geometry for weight-bearing sports with low-to-high-impact were greater than those for non-impact weight-bearing sports, whereas low-impact or high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate sports had less of an effect on bone geometry compared with higher-impact sports.
Introduction
Many previous studies have investigated tibial geometry in athletes; however, few studies have examined the associations between femoral cross-sectional geometry and exercise characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate these relationships using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the femoral mid-shaft.
Methods
One hundred and fifty-three female elite athletes, aged 18–34 years, were classified into five groups based on the characteristics of their sports. Sports were considered non-impact (n = 27), low- or moderate-impact (n = 39), odd-impact (n = 38), high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate (n = 10), or high-impact (n = 39). Bone geometrical parameters, including cortical area, periosteal perimeter, and moment of inertia (bone strength index), were determined using MRI images.
Results
Higher-impact groups displayed bone expansion, with significantly greater periosteal perimeters, cortical areas (~37.3 %), and minimum moments of inertia (I
min, ~92.3 %) at the mid-femur than non- and low-impact groups. After adjusting for age, height, and weight, the cortical area and I
min of the low-impact and high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate groups were also significantly greater than those of the non-impact group.
Conclusions
Higher-impact sports with high strain rates stimulated periosteal bone formation and improved bone geometry and strength indices at the femoral mid-shaft. Although our results indicate that weight-bearing sports are beneficial even if they are low impact, the effects of lower-impact or high-strain-magnitude/low-strain-rate sports on bone geometry were less pronounced than the effects of higher-impact sports at the femoral mid-shaft.