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Background: Age-related changes, such as reduced trabecular bone volume and cortical bone thickness, due to an imbalance of bone remodeling can be related to the changes in the osteocytes and their lacunocanalicular system. In humans, degenerated osteocyte networks with lower lacunar density are associated with the accumulation of microcracks; showing the importance of osteocyte network to sustain healthy bone. Prematurely aging PolgA mice demonstrate multiple hallmarks of aging (hair loss, greying, frailty, etc.) as early as 40 weeks of age.

Purpose: We investigate the age-related changes associated with osteocytes and their dendrites in prematurely aging PolgA mice.

Method: The osteocytes and dendrites in cortical bone from femurs of young (20 week old) and aged (40 week old) PolgA female and male mice and their wildtype (WT) littermates were characterized using 3D confocal microscopy …