Femoral osteocyte lacunar density, volume and morphology in women across the lifespan

Osteocytes are believed to be the primary agents of mechanosensing in bone. Due to this important role in the structure-function relationship of bone, osteocytes and the spaces they occupy (lacunae) are of increasing interest. Changes in lacunae with age are of particular interest in women since they are more susceptible to bone loss and fragility associated with senescent diseases including osteoporosis. This study's purpose was to test whether differences exist in lacunar density (lacunae/mm(3) of bone), orientation and morphology in the cortex of adult women spanning the human lifespan. Anterior blocks from the femoral shaft from 30 women aged 20-86years were imaged by synchrotron-radiation micro-CT. No significant relation between lacunar density and age was detected. A significant reduction in lacunar volume with age (p