The effect of remobilisation on the extremity of the adult rat after short-term immobilisation in a plaster cast.

The one hind leg of adult male rats was immobilised for 4 weeks in a plaster cast. The cast was then removed and the leg was subsequently remobilised for 4 and 16 weeks respectively. Studies of the skeletal mass of the femur and the tibia from the immobilised leg showed that after 4 weeks of remobilisation there were still clear signs of osteoporotic changes of the bones as compared with the corresponding bones from control non-immobilised rats. After 16 weeks of remobilisation there were no esteoporotic changes detectable by the methods used.