[Clinical and physiological evaluation of bone changes among astronauts after long-term space flights]. / Kliniko-fiziologicheskaia otsenka izmenenii kostnoi tkani u kosmonavtov posle dlitel'nykh kosmicheskikh poletov.

Results of the joint Russian/US studies of the effect of microgravity on bone tissues in 18 cosmonauts on return from 4.5- to 14.5-month long missions are presented. Dual-energy x-ray gamma-absorbtiometry (QDR-1000 W, Hologic, USA) was used to measure bone mineral density (BMD, g/cm2) and mineral content (BMC, g) in the whole body, the scalp including cervical vertebra, arms, ribs, sternal and lumbar regions of the spinal column, pelvis and legs. A clearly defined dependence of topography of changes upon the position of a skeletal segment in the gravity vector was established. The greatest BMD losses have been observed in the skeleton of the lower body, i.e. in pelvic bones (-11.99 +/- 1.22%), lumbar vertebra (-5.63 +/- 0.817%), and in proximal femur, particularly in the femoral neck (-8.17 +/- 1.24%). Bones of the upper skeleton were either unchanged (insignificant) or showed a positive trend. Overall changes in bone mass of the whole skeleton of male cosmonauts during the period of about 6 months on mission made up -1.41 +/- 0.406% and suggest the mean balance of calcium over flight equal to -227 +/- 62.8 mg/day. Reasoning is given to qualify these states of cosmonauts' bone tissues as local osteopenia. On the literature and results of authors' clinical evidence, discussed is availability of the densitometric data for predicting risk of trauma. A biological nature of the changes under observation is hypothesized.

[Changes in bone tissue of women under condition of 120 days antiorthostatic hypokinesia]. / Izmenenie sostoiania kostnoí tkani u zhenshchin v usloviiakh 120-sutochnoí antiortostaticheskoí gipokinezii.

The state of bone tissue has been studied in 8 women subjected to a 120-day HDT. Four test subjects (Group A) performed physical exercises during the experiment. Mineral content (MC) in bone tissue and mineral density of the bones (MD) were determined with the help of dichromatic x-ray bone densitometer HOLOGIC QDR--100/W. The velocity of propagation of ultrasound in the shin bone was also determined. It is found that the hypokinesia-associated losses of bone mass in the lower segments of the skeleton of women were insignificant. In the control group (Group B, non-exercising subjects), there markedly increased MC in the bones of the upper body and there were the slight signs of hypomineralization of the segments of the lower body as well as the significant (in 2 test subjects) decrease of MC in the pelvic bones in the recovery period to the level lower than at the beginning of the experiment. In group A, the increase of MC in the upper skeleton was expressed to a lesser degree. At the recovery period the all changes were practically neutralized and there were no signs of bone mass loss. The velocity of ultrasound by the Day 90 of the experiment had the marked tendency for a decrease in group A persisting up to the end of experiment while in the group B its changes were oppositely directed. Within 2 months after the experiment in the majority of women the tendency for recovery of the initial state both by the absolute values of ultrasound velocity and by the profile of curves of their distribution over the anterior surface of the shinbone was noted. The results are discussed in comparison with findings obtained in the experiments with long-term hypokinesia in men and in the space missions.