Tibial bone density, cross-sectional geometry and strength in Finnish pet rabbits : a peripheral quantitative computed tomography study

Rabbit bones are brittle and prone to fissure formation. Radiographs of very young and old rabbits are often indicative of decreased bone density. The aim of this study was to investigate the tibial bone parameters in pet rabbits, and their association with age, sex, castration and dental disease. Eighty-seven (43 female/5 spayed, 44 male/19 castrated) pet rabbits (mean age 2.6 years, range 0.3-9.3 years) of various breeds were studied, of which 37 had dental disease. Right tibiae were scanned with peripheral quantitative CT at the distal (4percent) and mid-shaft sites (50percent of the tibial length). Analysed bone parameters included the total cross-sectional area, cortical bone area and density, trabecular bone density and strength-strain index. The mean diaphyseal cortical density was high (about 1400 mg/cm(3)) in comparison to many other species. Within the studied age range, age was weakly but positively associated with diaphyseal cortical density, with the juvenile rabbits clearly showing the lowest values. There was no tendency for age-related decrease in trabecular or cortical bone density at least up to six years of age. Neither were sex, castration nor dental disease associated with decreased tibial bone density.Peer reviewe

Diet is a main source of vitamin D in Finnish pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

During the winter time in Finland, sunlight is inadequate for vitamin D synthesis. Many pet rabbits live as house rabbits with limited outdoor access even during summer and may therefore be dependent on dietary sources of vitamin D. The aims of this study were to report the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in Finnish pet rabbits and to identify factors that influence vitamin D status. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations from 140 pet rabbits were determined using a vitamin D enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kit. Eleven rabbits were excluded from the statistical analysis because of unclear dietary data. The remaining 129 rabbits were divided into groups depending on outdoor access during summer (no access n = 26, periodic n = 57, regular n = 46) as well as daily diet: little or no hay and commercial rabbit food = 1 dl (n = 35). The range of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was from 4.5 to 67.5 ng/ml with a mean of 26.1 ng/ml. Statistical general linear model adjusted for weight, age and season indicated that diet was associated with vitamin D concentrations (p = 0.001), but outdoor access during summer was not (p = 0.41). Mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was significantly higher in the rabbits receiving a lot of hay and commercial food >= 1 dl (33.9 +/- 13.2 ng/ml) than in rabbits in other diet groups (24.0 +/- 8.5 ng/ml, 21.7 +/- 8.1 ng/ml, and 22.2 +/- 18.0 ng/ml, respectively). This investigation showed wide variation in 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations among Finnish pet rabbits. Diet remains a main source since outdoor access seems to be too limited to provide adequate vitamin D synthesis for most of them, and the use of vitamin D supplements is rare.Peer reviewe

Is Childhood Obesity Associated with Bone Density and Strength in Adulthood?

Associations between childhood obesity and adult bone traits were assessed among 62 obese premenopausal women, of which 12 had been obese since childhood (ObC), and 50 had gained excess weight in adulthood (ObA). Body composition and bone mineral content (BMC) of the total body, spine, and proximal femur were assessed with DXA. Total cross-sectional area and cortical (diaphyseal CoD) and trabecular (epiphyseal TrD) bone density of the radius and tibia were measured with pQCT. Compared to ObA-group, ObC-group was 5.2 cm taller having 2.5 and 3.5 kg more lean and fat mass, respectively. Depending on the statistical adjustment, ObC-group had 5–10% greater TrD both in tibia and in radius. The remaining bone traits did not significantly differ between the groups. Current preliminary observations bring up an interesting question whether childhood obesity can result in denser trabecular bone in adulthood. However, prudence must be exercised in the statistical adjustment

Bioimpedance spinal needle provides high success and low complication rate in lumbar punctures of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).In this prospective single-arm study of 50 pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we evaluated the clinical performance of a novel bioimpedance spinal needle system in 152 intrathecal treatment lumbar punctures (LP) of these patients. The system detects in real-time when the needle tip reaches the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the spinal canal. The success was defined as getting a CSF sample and/or administering the intrathecal treatment with one needle insertion. Incidence of traumatic LP (TLP) was defined as ≥ 10 erythrocytes/µL of CSF. Post-procedural complications were monitored with a one-week diary and one-month register follow-up. The success of the first attempt was 79.5%, with the CSF detection sensitivity of 86.1%. The incidence of TLP was 17.3%. A successful first attempt was associated with a significantly lower incidence of TLP (10% vs 40%, p = 0.0015). During the week after the procedure, the incidence of post-dural puncture headache was 6%. During the follow-up, no major complications were observed. In conclusion, the novel bioimpedance spinal needle system achieved a high success rate and low incidence of TLP and other complications in pediatric patients with ALL in a real-world clinical setting, indicating clinical utility for this system in pediatric hemato-oncology.Peer reviewe

Components of functional-structural tree models

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