A new method based on contact surface profilometry for quantitative measurement of resorbed bone volume

Bone is a dynamic tissue. Its continuous remodeling depends on the balance between bone formation and bone resorption. These two processes are carried out by specialized cells called osteoblast and ostreoclast respectively. The osteoclastic bone resorption consists in degradation of the mineral and collagen components of bone. The study of bone turnover requires accurate assessment of osteoclastic bone resorption, that becomes even more important in pathologic bone loss due to the uncoupling between bone formation and bone resorption. Osteoclastic activity is difficult to measure. Many techniques, generally based on the detection of the resorbing lacunae (pits) due to the bone degradation, allow to estimate bone resorption, but none of them quantitatively and directly measures the volume of resorbed bone. We propose a reliable and relatively simple method, based on contact surface profilometry, to evaluate directly and quantitatively the volume of resorbed bone. The method has the following advantages: i. to perform a comparison of the same bone surface before and after the exposure to the osteoclastic activity; ii. to enhance the sensitivity by utilization of bone slices shaped and polished in order to concentrate the cell activity in a controlled area.