PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (S ): Pauline B. Mack 



EXPERIMENT TITLE/NUMBER : Bone Density Changes in a Macaca nemestrina Monkey 



During the Biosatellite III Project 



PROGRAM/MISSION : Biosatellite III 



CLASSIFICATION : Animal .- Pig-tailed moneky ( Macaca nemestrina ) 



DISCIPLINE(S) : Musculoskeletal 



OBJECTIVES : To find changes in bone density during weightlessness by the 

 x-ray radiographic method. 



PROTOCOL : Preflight, several series of bone radiographs were taken to 

 ascertain initial skeletal density in seventeen anatomic sites. The values 

 obtained from scanning sections of bones were equated in terms of mass of 

 calcium hydroxyapatite, the major mineral component of bone. Postf light 

 radiographs were taken after recovery. 



EQUIPMENT : Bone densitometer, digital-analog computer. 



RESULTS : Postflight bone density losses at the sites analyzed ranged from 

 -1.71 to -17-52% compared to -0.12 to -10.72% for ground controls. 



CONCLUSIONS : Immobilization of flight has been found definitely to be 

 associated with decrease in skeletal density in human subjects in prior 

 studies. The bone density losses in the flight animal were considered to be 

 due to immobilization coupled with the aggregate stresses of the flight 

 environment. 



PUBLICATIONS : 369 



122 



