Fig. 5.

SARS-CoV-2 infection does not impact cortical bone parameters. C57BL/6J (WT) and K18-hACE2 (TG) mice were infected with 0, 1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁴, or 1 × 10⁵ PFU of SARS-CoV-2. Non-infected mice included mock-infected (0 PFU) TG mice and all WT mice (infected with 0, 1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁴, or 1 × 10⁵ PFU) (n = 22). Infected mice included TG mice infected with 1 × 10³, 1 × 10⁴, or 1 × 10⁵ PFU of SARS-CoV-2 virus (n = 15, due to a femur being broken during removal from a TG mouse infected with 1 × 10⁴ PFU, early endpoint). A) Representative μCT images of the cross-sectional area at the midshaft of the femur of surviving TG mice infected with 0 and 1 × 10⁴ PFU. B–G) Quantitative microstructural parameters determined by μCT. B) Cortical bone porosity (Ct.Po, distal). C) Cortical bone porosity (Ct.Po, midshaft). D) Tissue area (T.Ar, midshaft). E) Bone area (B.Ar, midshaft). F) Marrow area (M.Ar, midshaft). G) Polar moment of intertia (PMOI, midshaft). Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. Mice which were humanely euthanized prior to the study endpoint are denoted by pink circles. No significant differences were detected. Statistical analysis was performed using a Student's t-test. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)