Effects of orthotopic liver transplantation in inbred rats on bone biomechanical properties.
To determine the effects of orthotopic liver transplantation in inbred rats on the mechanical properties of bones at different anatomic sites. The 24 rats that survived liver transplantation were paired with sham-operated rats of similar body weight. Six months after surgery, the lumbar vertebra, the proximal femur, and the middle femoral shaft were measured for their biomechanical properties and bone mineral density. The ultimate force, the ultimate stress, the Young modulus and the bone mineral density of both the proximal femur and the middle femur shaft of the rats were significantly reduced in the liver transplant group. However, no significant change was observed in the various parameters that indicate the biomechanical properties and the bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebra. Orthotopic liver transplantation impairs the biomechanical properties of the proximal femur and the middle femoral shaft. Orthotopic liver transplantation itself is one of the risk factors for posttransplant fracture.