Bone remodeling in hypervitaminosis D3. Radiologic-microangiographic-pathologic correlations.
To investigate the mechanism of bone changes in hypervitaminosis D3, we compared contact radiographs, microangiograms by injection of Chinese ink, and corresponding histopathologic macrosections of 66 rabbits that received different doses of vitamin D3. In early stages, radiographs showed subperiosteal bone resorption and porotic cortical bone. The corresponding microangiograms showed proliferating vessels in the periosteum and cortical bone with associated dilatation of the Haversian and Volkmann's canals. When metastatic calcification fills these intracortical caverns or the intertrabecular spaces in the metaphysis and physis, the bone shows a diffuse increased density on radiographs. A dense band in the metaphysis reflects a thickening of calcified chondromatrix due to a hypotrophy of the distal metaphyseal capillaries. Six to 12 weeks after vitamin D3 withdrawal, radiographs showed further increased density of the cortical bone, due to newly formed bone and metastatic calcification. Alternating bands of increased and decreased density in the metaphysis and physis reflect the reinvasion of normal vasculature between growth cartilage and calcified chondromatrix, with normalization of endochondral ossification.