Bone-Marrow Pressure and Bone Strength

Abstract

The pattern of bone-marrow pressure changes differed with the mode of stress application. Intra-medullary pressure remained steady during most of the slow loading. During rapid dynamic loading, however, a slight rise in intra-medullary pressure was observed. Contraction of the femoral muscles also resulted in a greater bone-marrow pressure increase. A correlation of 0.98 (P < 0.001) between stimulus strength and intra-medullary pressure was obtained. The rise in intra-medullary pressure with femoral muscle contraction is suggested to have a possible role under extreme stresses in living conditions.

Key words:

• bone-marrow pressure
• hydraulic strengthening of bones
• nerve stimulation and intra-medullary pressure
• muscle contraction and bone-marrow pressure