Trabecular microcalli in lumbar vertebrae of adult men with alcohol-associated liver disease: postmortem micro-computed tomography assessment

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Increased fracture risk was previously associated with alcohol-associated liver disease (AALD), but contemporary literature lacks the assessment of the micro-fracture healing events (microcalli) in these individuals. We aimed to quantify microcalli in a trabecular compartment of lumbar vertebrae obtained from individuals with pathohistological confirmation of AALD. Methods We used high-resolution micro-computed tomography scanning to evaluate the density of trabecular microcalli in the anterior mid-transverse portion of lumbar vertebral bodies collected from 32 male adult cadaveric donors (age range: 33–75 years), divided into the AALD group (n = 13) and the control group (n = 19). Pathohistological analysis indicated that seven individuals had the initial AALD stage (fatty liver disease), while six individuals had end-stage AALD (alcoholic liver cirrhosis). Results A declining trend in the density of trabecular microcalli was noted in the AALD group (1.8 ± 1.7/mm3) compared to the control (3.3 ± 2.6/mm3), but without reaching statistical significance (p = 0.080, Student’s t-test). The density of trabecular microcalli was not significantly different between initial and end-stage AALD (p > 0.05; ANOVA with Bonferroni correction). Pearson correlation indicated that a decreasing trend in the density of trabecular microcalli was associated with the deteriorated trabecular microarchitecture of the AALD group. Conclusions The density of trabecular microcalli was not significantly altered in the lumbar vertebrae of men with different stages of AALD, suggesting that AALD does not have a substantial impact on the healing process of trabecular micro-fractures and the formation of trabecular microcalli in the lumbar vertebrae. However, future studies are required to confirm our findings. © 2025, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.