Musculoskeletal & Bone Diseases
Fracture healing, arthritis and micro-CT analysis
In vivo models and quantitative endpoints for bone, joint and musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, fracture healing, osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis. Longitudinal micro-computed tomography (µCT), in-life functional readouts and joint histopathology are combined within one study design to characterise disease progression, structural changes and therapeutic response.
Disease Areas & Models
Bone and joint pathologies develop over weeks to months. Study designs therefore focus on repeated measurements in the same animal and on endpoints that reflect both structure and function.
| Indication | Models & Focus |
|---|---|
| Osteoporosis | Ovariectomy (OVX) and aged models to assess bone loss, microarchitectural deterioration and therapy response |
| Fracture Healing | Longitudinal monitoring of callus formation, callus volume and mineral density, fixation stability and healing kinetics |
| Osteoarthritis | Surgically induced and spontaneous models to assess subchondral bone changes, osteophyte formation and cartilage degeneration |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) to evaluate bone erosion, joint destruction and paw inflammation, with quantitative assessment of erosive lesions and structural bone changes |
| Haemophilic Arthropathy | Knee haemarthrosis model in coagulation-deficient mice (see Haematology & Haemostasis) |
| Bone Metastasis & Oncology | Detection of osteolytic and osteoblastic lesions; quantification of bone and tumour volume |
| Muscle Wasting | Muscular dystrophy and cachexia models with measurement of muscle thickness, tibial length and IMM index |
| Skeletal Phenotyping | Characterisation of transgenic lines by ex vivo scans, including organ volumes and skeletal phenotypes |
Monitoring Strategies
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Longitudinal in vivo µCT | Repeated imaging of the same animal to follow disease progression and treatment response, reducing animal numbers in line with the 3Rs principles |
| Functional Activity Tracking | Monitoring of ambulatory behaviour and mobility as a readout for joint pain and function via the automated REVOLYZER 3TS system (preclinics, Potsdam, Germany) |
| Clinical Assessments | Arthritis scoring, paw swelling and calliper measurements of joint diameter to track inflammation |
| Health Assessment | Longitudinal body weight tracking and µCT-based body composition analysis |
Quantitative µCT Endpoints
| Parameter | Endpoint | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Bone volume fraction | BV/TV | % |
| Trabecular number | Tb.N | mm⁻¹ |
| Trabecular thickness | Tb.Th | µm |
| Trabecular separation | Tb.Sp | µm |
| Cortical thickness | Ct.Th | µm |
| Bone mineral density | BMD | mg HA cm⁻³ |
| Body fat percentage | %BF | % |
| Lean mass | LM | g |
| Muscle index | IMM | ratio |
| Organ volume | mm³ |
ex vivo Characterisation
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| High-Resolution ex vivo µCT | Imaging of isolated bones, joints and organs with extended scan settings |
| Joint Histopathology | Scoring of synovitis and cartilage degradation |
| Downstream Analyses | Non-destructive µCT allows subsequent histology or molecular assays on the same samples |
| Implants & Biomaterials | Osseointegration, porosity, pore size, scaffold degradation and bone to implant interaction |
Standalone µCT Analysis
µCT analysis is also available as a separate service for fixed samples from external studies. Sample preparation, fixation and shipping guidelines are included in the brochure below.
Imaging platform: Quantum GX2 microCT Imaging System · voxel size down to 10 µm · typical high-resolution scan approx. 4 minutes · field of view 18 to 86 mm · respiratory and cardiac gating
→ Technical details: µCT Imaging
Rely on our expertise to make informed Go/No-Go decisions for your development program.
Model selection, endpoints and scan schedules are defined with each sponsor according to the study question. New models and readouts can be established on request.