Institute of Human Biology and Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznan, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2023 Nov 23;13(1):20564. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47776-4.
Aging changes in the facial skeleton are concentrated mostly in orbits, maxilla and mandible. The aim of this study was to analyze metric traits of the adult viscerocranium in a medieval sample from Cedynia (Poland, Central Europe) and confront the results with literature data for modern populations. It was assumed that diet-related greater biomechanical forces generated during mastication in medieval versus modern times led to slower rate of bone resorption with age. 3D models of the facial skeleton are created for 230 individuals, categorized into young, middle and old adults, and a subgroup of edentulous middle adults is distinguished. Orbits, piriform aperture, maxilla and mandible are measured using Geomagic Studio 12 and analyzed among age categories as well as dentate and edentulous subgroups. The values of the orbital and piriform aperture measurements tend to increase with age and reached statistical significance in males (right orbit height, left orbit width, piriform aperture surface area). In females, maxillary height significantly decrease at right first premolar and first molar, together with height of the right mandibular ramus. In edentulous individuals of both sexes the orbits are wider, and maxillary and mandibular heights are lower than in dentate individuals. This study reveals similar character and direction of the aging process of the facial skeleton in medieval and modern adults, however slower rate of resorptive changes is found in the former sample, which suggests, that diet-related biomechanical forces can influence intensification of the aging processes in the facial skeleton.
面部骨骼的老化变化主要集中在眼眶、上颌骨和下颌骨。本研究旨在分析来自波兰（中欧）塞丁尼亚中世纪样本中成人内脏颅的计量特征，并将结果与现代人群的文献数据进行比较。研究假设，与现代相比，中世纪时期咀嚼过程中与饮食相关的更大生物力学力量导致骨骼吸收的速度随年龄的增长而减缓。为 230 个人创建了面部骨骼的 3D 模型，分为年轻人、中年人、老年人，还区分了一组无牙中年人。使用 Geomagic Studio 12 测量眼眶、梨状孔、上颌骨和下颌骨，并在年龄组以及有牙和无牙亚组之间进行分析。眼眶和梨状孔测量值的趋势随年龄增加而增加，在男性中达到统计学意义（右眼眶高度、左眼眶宽度、梨状孔表面积）。在女性中，右侧第一前磨牙和第一磨牙处的上颌骨高度显著降低，同时右侧下颌支高度也降低。在男女无牙个体中，眼眶更宽，上颌骨和下颌骨高度低于有牙个体。本研究揭示了中世纪和现代成年人面部骨骼老化过程的相似特征和方向，但在前一样本中发现了吸收变化速度较慢的情况，这表明与饮食相关的生物力学力量可能会影响面部骨骼老化过程的加剧。
