Short Title:
Musculoskeletal Recovery
Responsible HRP Element:
Human Health Countermeasures
Funding Status:
Completed - Task completed and produced a deliverable
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Procurement Mechanism(s):
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Aims:
- Determined whether the total exposure time to weightlessness or the number of repetitive exposures is the primary determinant of skeletal morphology and strength.
- Determined the musculoskeletal consequences of altering the length and distribution of the recovery periods between multiple exposures to weightlessness.
Integration/Unique Aspects: This task, using an animal model, provided knowledge to Elements (Human Health and Countermeasures) as to the impact of prolonged spaceflight on long-term bone health which helped direct the development and application of appropriate countermeasures.
Category:
Risk Characterization, Quantification
Subcategory:
Evidence or Risk Characterization
Description:
Established the range of responses of genetically diverse individuals to multiple unloading and reambulation phases.
Task to Gap contribution: Multiple spaceflight missions may be a risk factor for declines in bone strength and increased fracture risk. This task used a mouse model to describe the effects of total duration of skeletal unloading versus fractionated duration of skeletal unloading on bone structure and strength, as well as the effects of intervening periods of recovery between periods of unloading. Such invasive studies are not easily designed or as informative for humans.
Internal Customers:
None
External Customers:
None