Alteration of bone architecture after OA induction.

<p>µCT 3D-analysis of trabecular parameters in the right knee joint (DMM, A–C) and the left knee joint (Sham, D–F) depicted as trabecular number (Tb.N, A,D), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th, B,E) and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp, C,F). A) Tb.N declined in WT (p = 0.018) and Mc1re/e (p = 0.043) at both time points after OA-induction compared to day 0 with no differences observed between both groups. B) Compared to day 0 animals Tb.Th was increased in Mc1re/e mice at both time points (p = 0.043) after OA-induction whereas WT mice showed an increase only 8 weeks after operation (p = 0.018). Mc1re/e mice had thicker trabeculae at both time points compared to WT animals (p = 0.004) C) Th.Sp was decreased in Mc1re/e animals reaching significance 8 weeks after OA-induction compared to day 0 mice (p = 0.043). At both time points, Mc1re/e animals developed less Th.Sp compared to WT group (p = 0.019). Mild alterations in trabecular structure also occurred in sham operated contra-lateral knees in both groups but to a significantly lesser extend compared to destabilized knees. Data were normalized to the values at day 0 (day of surgery, set as 1, grey dotted line). Data are presented as box plots reflecting the 25th and 75th percentile as boxes, the median as horizontal line and minimum and maximum values as whiskers with dots indicating outliers and stars indicating extreme outliers. White bars indicate wild type and grey bars indicate Mc1re/e group. § p<0.05 4/8 weeks post-surgery vs. day 0, * p<0.05 and ** p<0.01 wild type vs. mutant.