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Olympic fencers: adaptations in cortical and trabecular bone determined by quantitative computed tomography

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Abstract

Summary

We investigated how cortical bone, trabecular bone, and muscle adapt in US Olympic Fencing Team members. These athletes demonstrate femoral cortical bone expansion, greater distal femoral trabecular bone density, and greater muscle mass compared to controls. This is the first study to investigate musculoskeletal adaptations in Olympic fencers.

Purpose

Wolff’s law states that bone remodels according to mechanical forces placed upon it. Our goal was to determine how cortical and trabecular bone adapt in Olympic athletes who perform intermittent high-impact activity.

Materials and methods

Nine males from the 2004 US Olympic Fencing Team and nine matched controls were evaluated by quantitative computed tomography. Femurs were scanned at 50% and 75% along the shaft. We evaluated cortical thickness (C.Th), cortical (C.Ar), trabecular (Tb.Ar), and total bone areas (Tot.Ar), proportions of C.Ar and Tb.Ar to Tot.Ar, cortical (C.BMD.), trabecular (Tb.MBD), and total bone densities (Tot.BMD), muscle (M.Ar), and thigh areas (Th.Ar).

Results

Fencers had greater C.Th (+24.5 to 38.8%), C.Ar (+16.9 to 19.6%), C.Ar/Tot.Ar (+6.3 to 16.3%), and lower Tb.Ar/Tot.Ar (−23.5% to −23.8%; p<0.05). Fencers demonstrated a positive difference in C.Th in the dominant vs. nondominant thigh at 50% (+5.4%, p = 0.040) and at 75% (+13.8%, p = 0.048 by analysis of covariance). Fencers had 54% greater Tb.BMD at 75% (p = 0.025), but not at 50% (p = 0.63). There was no difference between groups for C.BMD (p = .66 at 50%, p = 0.88 at 75%). Fencers had greater M.Ar (+30%) and asymmetrically greater M.Ar (+12.2%) in the dominant thigh (p < 0.004).

Conclusion

In world-class athletes who perform intermittent, high-impact activity, cortical bone expands, trabecular bone density is greater, and muscle mass is greater. This is the first study to examine musculoskeletal adaptations in Olympic fencers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank volunteers and members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team for their participation in the study. They also thank Ramchand Deoki for assistance with CT scanning.

Funding

This work was supported by an internal research grant from the radiology department at our institution. The authors have no financial or commercial interests to disclose.

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, NYU School of Medicine, Hospital for Joint Disease, 301 East 17th Street, New York, NY, 10003, USA

    G. Chang, R. R. Regatte & M. E. Schweitzer

Authors
  1. G. Chang
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  2. R. R. Regatte
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  3. M. E. Schweitzer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Chang.

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Chang, G., Regatte, R.R. & Schweitzer, M.E. Olympic fencers: adaptations in cortical and trabecular bone determined by quantitative computed tomography. Osteoporos Int 20, 779–785 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-008-0730-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-008-0730-z

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