Morphogenesis of Floating Bone Segments: A Legacy of Serial Tensile Cross-Strut Microdamage in Trabecular Disconnection “Crumple Zones”?

Trabecular bone disconnection “hotspots” of real termini (ReTm) previously mapped as loci weakness in the female aging spine and hip may be a source free-floating cancellous segments found medullary space using bespoke, thick slice histological method for identifying ReTm. A factor their origin is apparently microdamage proliferation (differentiated by en bloc silver staining) with occasional callus moderation. Validation similar “floating segments” (FS) ex-breeder rat suggested pilot model potentially common phenomenon. Following marrow elution density fractionation isolated floating from whole proximal femora, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) elemental microanalysis (EDS) was performed. The eluent contained numbers vertically truncated, laterally branched (acute severance sequential tensile cross-struts, causing chronic compression overload axial-struts, ii) inadequate stabilising callus, facilitating ReTm stacking into predetermined, substructural “crumple zones” force containment, spheroidal attrition particulate dissociation. As catabolic outcome altered hormonal influence, FS number add novel variable to kinetics particularly women relevance fracture predisposition.