Tomographical description of tennis-loaded radius: reciprocal relation between bone size and volumetric BMD

1 Growth Factor Division, National Cancer Center Reseach Institute, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104; 2 Nishimoto Sangyo Co., Ltd., Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0034; Laboratories of 3 Sport Biomechanics and of 5 Biochemistry of Exercise and Nutrition, Institute of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0006; and 4 Tsukuba College of Technology Clinic, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0821, Japan Effects of long-term tennis loading on volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and geometric properties of playing-arm radius were examined. Paired forearms of 16 tennis players (10 women) and 12 healthy controls (7 women), aged 18-24 yr, were scanned at mid and distal site by using peripheral quantitative computerized tomography. Tomographic data at midradius showed that tennis playing led to a slight decrease in cortical vBMD ( 0.8% vs. nonplaying arm, P