Cooke Karen M, Mahoney Patrick, Miszkiewicz Justyna J
Skeletal Biology and Forensic Anthropology Research Group, School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2022 Jun;305(6):1299-1315. doi: 10.1002/ar.24646. Epub 2021 May 13.
Histomorphometric analysis of human cortical bone has documented the occurrence of secondary osteon variants. These include drifting osteons which form tails as they move erratically through the cortex and Type II osteons which show partial resorption and redeposition within the cement line of the osteon. Little is known about the biological significance of these variants. Prior studies suggested correlations with age, biomechanics, diet, and mineral homeostasis. No study has yet tested for osteon variant associations with static measures of bone remodeling. In this study, thin sections (n = 112) of the posterior femur representing a late English Medieval adult human osteological collection, subdivided by age, sex, and socio-economic status, were examined to determine whether remodeling indicators reconstructed from osteon parameters (area, diameter, area ratios) and densities differed between categories of presence or absence of Type II and drifting osteon variants. Of the 112 sections, 33 presented with Type II osteons, and 38 had drifting osteons. Sporadic statistically significant results were identified. Haversian canal:osteon area ratio differed (p = 0.017) with Type II osteon presence, Type II osteons were more prevalent in males than females (p = 0.048), and drifting osteons were associated with smaller osteon (p = 0.049) and Haversian canal area (p = 0.05). These results may be explained through some biological (sex) and social (status) processes such as a period of physiological recovery (e.g., following lactation, malnutrition). However, the general lack of consistent relationships between osteon variants and remodeling indicators suggests they occur as a result of natural variation.
对人类皮质骨的组织形态计量学分析记录了继发性骨单位变体的出现。这些包括漂移骨单位，它们在不规则穿过皮质时形成尾状，以及II型骨单位，其在骨单位的黏合线内显示部分吸收和再沉积。关于这些变体的生物学意义知之甚少。先前的研究表明它们与年龄、生物力学、饮食和矿物质稳态有关。尚无研究测试骨单位变体与骨重塑静态指标之间的关联。在本研究中，对代表英国中世纪晚期成年人类骨学收藏的股骨后部薄片（n = 112）进行了检查，这些薄片按年龄、性别和社会经济地位细分，以确定从骨单位参数（面积、直径、面积比）和密度重建的重塑指标在II型和漂移骨单位变体存在或不存在的类别之间是否存在差异。在112个切片中，33个有II型骨单位，38个有漂移骨单位。发现了一些零星的统计学显著结果。哈弗斯管：骨单位面积比因II型骨单位的存在而不同（p = 0.017），II型骨单位在男性中比女性更普遍（p = 0.048），并且漂移骨单位与较小的骨单位（p = 0.049）和哈弗斯管面积（p = 0.05）相关。这些结果可能通过一些生物学（性别）和社会（地位）过程来解释，例如一段生理恢复时期（例如，哺乳、营养不良之后）。然而，骨单位变体与重塑指标之间普遍缺乏一致的关系表明它们是自然变异的结果。
