Absence of catK partially mitigates bone loss in SS BM chimeras. (A) Schematic and timeline of BMT studies. (B) Representative three-dimensional heat maps of trabecular morphology in the epiphysis region of the distal femur in C57BL/6 (top) and catK^−/− (bottom) that were reconstituted with AA or SS BM. A pseudocolor scale of blue (0 mm) to red (0.09 mm) depicts trabecular thickness. (C) Trabecular BV/TV in the epiphyseal region generated by microCT imaging. AA BM = black; SS BM = red. (D) Representative three-dimensional heat maps of cortical thickness in the mid-diaphyseal region in C57BL/6 (top) and catK^−/−(bottom) that were reconstituted with AA or SS BM. A pseudocolor scale of blue (0 mm) to red (0.2 mm) depicts cortical thickness. (E) Cortical thickness in the mid-diaphyseal region generated by microCT analysis. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Statistical significance, *P < .05, determined by multiple Student t tests with Holm-Šidák’s post hoc test; n = 3 to 7 mice per group; scale bar, 100 μm.