Trabecular and cortical bone density and architecture in women after 60 days of bed rest using high‐resolution pQCT: WISE 2005

Prolonged bed rest is used to simulate the effects of spaceflight and causes disuse‐related loss of bone. While bone density changes during bed rest have been described, there are no data on changes in bone microstructure. Twenty‐four healthy women aged 25 to 40 years participated in 60 days of strict 6‐degree head‐down tilt bed rest (WISE 2005). Subjects were assigned to either a control group (CON, n  = 8), which performed no countermeasures; an exercise group (EXE, n  = 8), which undertook a combination of resistive and endurance training; or a nutrition group (NUT, n  = 8), which received a high‐protein diet. Density and structural parameters of the distal tibia and radius were measured at baseline, during, and up to 1 year after bed rest by high‐resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR‐pQCT). Bed rest was associated with reductions in all distal tibial density parameters ( p  < 0.001), whereas only distal radius trabecular density decreased. Trabecular separation increased at both the distal tibia and distal radius ( p  < 0.001), but these effects were first significant after bed rest. Reduction in trabecular number was similar in magnitude at the distal radius ( p  = 0.021) and distal tibia ( p  < 0.001). Cortical thickness decreased at the distal tibia only ( p  < 0.001). There were no significant effects on bone structure or density of the countermeasures ( p  ≥ 0.057). As measured with HR‐pQCT, it is concluded that deterioration in bone microstructure and density occur in women during and after prolonged bed rest. The exercise and nutrition countermeasures were ineffective in preventing these changes. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research