Biomechanical performance of diaphyseal shafts and bone tissue of femurs from hypothyroid rats.

The bone changes in hypothyroidism are characterized by a low bone turnover with a reduced osteoid apposition and bone mineralization rate, and a decreased osteoclastic resorption in cortical bone. These changes could affect the mechanical performance of bone. The evaluation of such changes was the object of the present investigation. Hypothyroidism was induced in female rats aged 21 days through administration of propylthiouracil in the drinking water for 70 days (HT group). Controls were untreated rats (C group). Right femur mechanical properties were tested in 3-point bending. Structural (load bearing capacity and stiffness), geometric (cross-sectional area and moment of inertia) and material (modulus of elasticity) properties were evaluated. The left femur was ashed for calcium content determination. Plasma T(4) concentration was significantly decreased in HT rats. Body and femur weight and length in HT rats were also reduced. Femoral calcium concentration in ash was higher in HT than in C rats. However, the femoral calcium mass was significantly lower in HT than in C rats because of the reduced femoral size seen in the former. The stiffness of bone material was higher in HT than in C rats, while the bone geometric properties were significantly lower. The "load capacity" was between 30 and 50% reduced in the HT group, although, the differences disappeared when the values were normalized per 100-g body weight. The lowered biomechanical ability observed in the femoral shafts of HT rats seems to be the expression of a diminished rate of growth. Qualitative alterations in the intrinsic mechanical properties of bone tissue were observed in HT rats, probably because the mineral content and the modulus of elasticity were positively affected. The cortical bone of the HT rat thus appears as a bone with a higher than normal strength and stiffness relative to body weight, probably due to improvement of bone material quality due to an increased matrix calcification.