Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2020
The effect of housing environment on bone healing in a critical radius defect in New Zealand White rabbits
Hedenqvist, Patricia; Trbakovic, Amela; Mellgren, Torbjorn; Ohman-Magi, Caroline; Johansson, Petra Hammarstrom; Manell, Elin; Ekman, Stina; Ley, Cecilia; Jensen-Waern, Marianne; Thor, AndreasAbstract
In animal studies on bone healing, the effect of housing space and physical activity are seldom taken into account. Bone formation was evaluated in New Zealand White rabbits (mean +/- SEM BW: 3.9 +/- 0.11 kg) with a critical bone defect after 12 weeks of rehabilitation in pair-housing in 3 m(2) large floor pens (Floor, n = 10) or standard single housing in 0.43 m(2) cages (Cage, n = 10). In the randomised full-factorial study, a bone replica of calcium phosphate cement (CPC, n = 10) or autologous bone (AB, n = 10) was implanted in the unilateral 20 mm radius defect. Post-mortem, the oxidative capacity was measured by citrate synthase (CS) activity in M. quadriceps and the defect filling volume and density evaluated by microcomputer tomography (mu- CT). Histology sections were evaluated by subjective scoring and histomorphometry. Fourteen rabbits remained until the end of the study. Group Floor (n = 7; 3 CPC + 4 AB) had a higher CS activity and a larger bone defect filling volume and lower density by mu- CT measurements than group Cage (n = 7; 3 CPC + 4 AB). Three out of four rabbits in AB-Floor presented fusion of the defect with reorganisation of trabecular bone, whereas three of four in AB-Cage showed areas of incomplete healing. Floor rabbits had a higher score of bony fusion between the radius and ulna than Cage rabbits. There were no differences between groups in histomorphometry. The study found that a larger housing space increased physical activity and promoted bone formation.Published in
PLoS ONE2020, volume: 15, number: 5, article number: e0233530
Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
Authors' information
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences
Trbakovic, Amela
Uppsala Univ
Mellgren, Torbjorn
Uppsala Univ
Ohman-Magi, Caroline
Uppsala Univ
Johansson, Petra Hammarstrom
Univ Gothenburg
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health
Jensen-Waern, Marianne (Jensen Waern, Marianne)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences
Thor, Andreas
Uppsala Univ
UKÄ Subject classification
Animal and Dairy Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233530
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/106643