Bone mineral and histological variation with age and vertebral pathology in two human skeletal populations

• Other Authors: Gunness-Hey, Michele Elaine (Creator), Harper, Albert B. (Major Advisor), Laughlin, William S. (Associate Advisor), Thompson, David D. (Associate Advisor), University of Connecticut (Degree grantor)
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of Connecticut 1981
• Subjects: eskimo*
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11134/20002:860737325; https://digitalcollections.ctstatelibrary.org/islandora/object/20002%3A860737325/datastream/TN/view/%20Bone%20mineral%20and%20histological%20variation%20with%20age%20and%20vertebral%20pathology%20in%20two%20human%20skeletal%20populations.jpg

This study quantified cortical and trabecular bone loss with age, sex, and vertebral disorder in two linguistically, culturally, and genetically distinct, but ecologically similar population, Aleuts and Koniag Eskimos. The skeletal remains of 117 Aleuts and 133 Koniag Eskimos were aged by morphological methods Cortical bone loss patterns were explored by three approaches cortical bone core; histological; and whole bone A 4 mm cortical bone core was removed from the diaphysis of the left femora The variables assessed were cortical thickness, cortical bone density (g/cm^), and core bone mineral (g/cm and g/cm2). The core bone mineral variables were determined by photon absorptiometry. Following the cortical bone core analysis a thin section removed from each core was prepared for histological analysis. Quantified by stereological principles the histological variables included areas and frequencies of secondary osteons and haversian canals. Determination of the bone mineral (g/cm and g/cm2) from the diaphysis of the left radii and the left femora by photon absorptiometry constituted the whole bone analysi Trabecular bone loss of the axial skeleton was quantified through the measurement of bone mineral (g/cm and g/cm2) for the body and the left pedicle of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae. Four vertebral disorders were visually assessed as being either present or absent. Vertebral disorders assessed were spondylolysis, spina bifida, osteophytosis, and osteoarthritis. Additionally, the biconcavity and the anterior-posterior height indices for the vertebrae were determined. Significant differences between the Aleuts and the Koniag Eskimos were not apparent when the cortical bone core and the histological variables were assessed by age/sex cohort. For all females significant decreases in cortical bone density and core bone mineral content index with successive age cohort were revealed. Males showed a significant decrease in cortical thickness with age Both males and females showed significant increases in haversian ...