A new technique for iliac crest biopsy in rhesus monkeys for use in weightlessness experiments: some results of ground studies.

The similarity of major physiological functions between man and monkey make non-human primates a suitable model, especially for experiments in weightlessness. Bone tissue of rhesus monkeys can easily be analysed by histological techniques in order to appreciate the effects of hypogravity upon the skeletal system. A technique for iliac crest biopsy has been developed in a laboratory. It is to be used on rhesus monkeys used in various experimental situations, and especially after exposure to the space environment.