Rat Femur Bone Data from Partial Weight-Bearing Experiments

NASA researchers measured structural and functional skeletal alterations in 14-week-old male Wistar rats exposed to varied levels of partial weight bearing. The dataset includes results from in vivo pQCT, ex vivo microcomputed tomography, histologic analyses, and three-point bending tests on femur tissue. Data was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling dose-dependent bone loss based on varied reductions in mechanical loading.
• Analyzing trabecular bone density and microarchitecture deficits based on microCT measurements.
• Investigating osteoblast activity and mineralization changes based on histologic analyses.
• Assessing cortical bone mechanical properties based on three-point bending test results.

Strengths

• Includes data from 11-12 rats per experimental group, providing statistical power.
• Combines multiple assay types: mechanical testing, microCT, and histomorphometry on the same tissue.
• Covers three time points (1, 2, and 4 weeks) and four loading levels (20%, 40%, 70%, 100% body weight).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a single strain (Wistar) and sex (male) of rats, limiting generalizability.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Experimental study using in vivo pQCT, ex vivo microCT, histology, and three-point bending on rat femur tissue.

Time Range

Experimental duration of 1 to 4 weeks.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:55:38.376235; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Laboratory study; geographic location not specified.