School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Forensic Sci Int. 2024 Aug;361:112111. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112111. Epub 2024 Jun 17.
The pars basilaris forms a central component of the immature basicranium and owing to its resilience to post-mortem and taphonomic changes, holds significance across evolutionary, clinical, and forensic contexts. While size and shape parameters of the pars basilaris have been investigated, little is known about the influence of the underlying bone mineral density on the morphometry of this bone during growth. This study aimed to investigate the development and growth of the pars basilaris with specific reference to changes in bone density patterning and development of osteological features, during the prenatal and early postnatal periods of life. A total of 109 pars basilari were sourced from the Johannesburg Forensic Paediatric Collection, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The study sample was subdivided into early prenatal (<30 gestational weeks), prenatal (30-40 gestational weeks) and postnatal (birth to 7.5 months) groups and micro-CT scanned to assess bone mineral density patterns across seven regions of interest. Size and shape changes were analysed using 11 digitized landmarks and geometric morphometrics. When comparing across age groups, the assessed dimensions increased with growth manifesting as a deepening at the anterior border of the foramen magnum, development of the lateral angles and widening of the bone at the lateral projections and spheno-occipital synchondrosis. However, no significant changes in the distribution of bone mineral density were observed. An appreciation of morphological changes and bone quality at specific growth sites in the pars basilaris is essential when analyzing remains of unknown provenance for the purposes of identification in disaster victim settings.
基底部的 pars 形成未成熟颅底的中央组成部分，由于其对死后和埋藏变化的弹性，在进化、临床和法医背景下都具有重要意义。虽然已经研究了 pars basilaris 的大小和形状参数，但对于在生长过程中基底骨矿物质密度对该骨形态的影响知之甚少。本研究旨在调查 pars basilaris 的发育和生长，特别是在生命的产前和新生儿早期期间，研究骨密度模式的变化和骨学特征的发育。总共从南非威特沃特斯兰德大学约翰内斯堡法医儿科收藏中获取了 109 个 pars basilari。研究样本分为早期产前（<30 孕周）、产前（30-40 孕周）和产后（出生至 7.5 个月）组，并进行微 CT 扫描，以评估七个感兴趣区域的骨矿物质密度模式。使用 11 个数字化地标和几何形态测量法分析大小和形状变化。当跨年龄组比较时，评估的尺寸随生长而增加，表现为枕骨大孔前缘变深、外侧角发育和骨在外侧突和蝶枕联合处变宽。然而，没有观察到骨矿物质密度分布的显著变化。在分析灾难受害者遗体的身份识别目的时，了解 pars basilaris 特定生长部位的形态变化和骨质量至关重要。
