Impact of Non-Invasively Induced Motor Deficits on Tibial Cortical Properties in Mutant <i>Lurcher</i> Mice JindrováAlena TumaJan SládekVladimír 2016 <div><p>It has been shown that <i>Lurcher</i> mutant mice have significantly altered motor abilities, regarding their motor coordination and muscular strength because of olivorecebellar degeneration. We assessed the response of the cross-sectional geometry and lacuno-canalicular network properties of the tibial mid-diaphyseal cortical bone to motor differences between <i>Lurcher</i> and wild-type (WT) male mice from the B6CBA strain. The first data set used in the cross-sectional geometry analysis consists of 16 mice of 4 months of age and 32 mice of 9 months of age. The second data set used in the lacunar-canalicular network analysis consists of 10 mice of 4 months of age. We compared two cross-sectional geometry and four lacunar-canalicular properties by I-region using the maximum and minimum second moment of area and anatomical orientation as well as H-regions using histological differences within a cross section. We identified inconsistent differences in the studied cross-sectional geometry properties between <i>Lurcher</i> and WT mice. The biggest significant difference between <i>Lurcher</i> and WT mice is found in the number of canaliculi, whereas in the other studied properties are only limited. <i>Lurcher</i> mice exhibit an increased number of canaliculi (<i>p</i> < 0.01) in all studied regions compared with the WT controls. The number of canaliculi is also negatively correlated with the distance from the centroid in the <i>Lurcher</i> and positively correlated in the WT mice. When the <i>Lurcher</i> and WT sample is pooled, the number of canaliculi and lacunar volume is increased in the posterior I<sub>max</sub> region, and in addition, midcortical H-region exhibit lower number of canaliculi, lacuna to lacuna distance and increased lacunar volume. Our results indicate, that the importance of precise sample selection within cross sections in future studies is highlighted because of the histological heterogeneity of lacunar-canalicular network properties within the I-region and H-region in the mouse cortical bone.</p></div>