Stress reduction through cortical bone thickening improves bone mechanical behavior in adult female Beclin-1+/− mice

This study investigated how Beclin-1 deficiency alters cortical bone structure and mechanical performance in adult female mice. Micro-CT analysis revealed significant increases in cortical thickness and cross-sectional area in Beclin-1+/− femurs compared to wild-type controls. Three-point bending tests demonstrated marked improvements in whole-bone strength, stiffness, and elastic modulus, indicating enhanced fracture resistance. Finite element analysis further showed reduced tissue-level stress and strain and increased safety factors in the midshaft and distal femur regions. Together, the findings demonstrate that cortical bone thickening substantially improves biomechanical behavior by reducing mechanical stress and strain, providing mechanistic insight into fracture resistance and bone adaptation in female skeletal biology.