Computed tomographic analysis of tibiotarsal bone mineral density and content in turkeys as influenced by age and sex
2012
A. Charuta | R.G. Cooper | M. Pierzchała | J.O. Horbańczuk
Changes in the volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of tibiotarsal bones of growing turkeys as affected by birds' age, sex, and within-the-bone location, respectively, were determined by computed tomography. The research was performed on 165 heavy-type BIG 6 turkeys reared between weeks (wk) 3-16 of age. The computed tomography (pQCT) measurement, conducted at 18 and 50% of the bone length, comprised a bone fragment which was 0.07 mm thick for the compact and the spongious substance collectively. It should be noted that the diaphyses of the tibiotarsal bones in turkeys (580 mg/cm3) had greater vBMD than the proximal metaphyses (300 mg/cm3), (P ≤ 0.001). BMC was higher in metaphyses for both sexes. Significant differences between the BMC of the metaphyses and the diaphyses were observed in males and females at wk 3 (P ≤ 0.01), 6 (P ≤ 0.05), and 9 (P ≤ 0.001), and at wk 3 (P ≤ 0.05) and 12 (P ≤ 0.01), respectively. vBMD in the diaphyses gradually attenuated with age for both sexes, from 688 mg/cm3 (wk 3) to 532 mg/cm3 (wk 16). vBMD of the metaphyses was constant in females, but in males it achieved maximum values of 350 mg/cm3 at wk 6 and 12 and minimum of 260 mg/cm3 at wk 9 and 16. Correlations between body weight (BW) and vBMD of the diaphyses were observed in males (r = -0.85, P ≤ 0.001) and females (r = -0.52, P ≤ 0.01). It can be concluded that vBMD loss in diaphyses diminished bone-breaking strength leading in investigated turkeys to deformities and bone fractures.
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