Marotti G, Farneti D, Remaggi F, Tartari F
Dipartimento di Scienze Morfologiche e Medico Legali, Università di Modena, Policlinico, Italy.
Ann Anat. 1998 Oct;180(5):449-53. doi: 10.1016/S0940-9602(98)80106-4.
An osteocyte lacunae differential count (1-lacunae with live osteocytes, 2-lacunae with degenerating osteocytes, 3-empty lacunae) was carried out on ear ossicles and clavicles from cadavers as well as on stapes removed by stapedotomy. The distance of the three types of lacunae from the vascular source was also determined by a computer-assisted light microscope. Results showed that the delayed fixation of bone from cadavers does not significantly interfere with osteocyte preservation, at least with the scope of this investigation. The results of osteocyte differential count show that the number of empty lacunae and lacunae with degenerating osteocytes: (a) is significantly higher in ear ossicles than in clavicles, (b) increases with age, (c) is higher in stapes than in incuses and mallei, (d) increases with the distance from the vascular sources in both ear ossicles and clavicles. Additionally it appeared that the process of osteocyte degeneration in ear ossicles is very rapid and widespread, over 40% of the cells being dead within the 2nd year of age. In the light of the recent literature and personal findings, which ascribe to osteocytes the function of mechanical detectors, and considering that bone remodeling occasionally occurs in ear ossicles, it is postulated that osteocyte death in these bones could be a programmed phenomenon (apoptosis?), due to which they lose the ability to react to strains and stresses and achieve the structural stability they need to perform their peculiar stereotyped function.
对尸体的听小骨和锁骨以及镫骨切除术中取出的镫骨进行了骨细胞陷窝差异计数（1-含有活骨细胞的陷窝，2-含有退化骨细胞的陷窝，3-空陷窝）。还通过计算机辅助光学显微镜确定了三种类型陷窝与血管源的距离。结果表明，至少在本研究范围内，尸体骨骼的延迟固定不会显著干扰骨细胞的保存。骨细胞差异计数结果显示，空陷窝和含有退化骨细胞的陷窝数量：（a）在听小骨中明显高于在锁骨中；（b）随年龄增加；（c）在镫骨中高于砧骨和锤骨；（d）在听小骨和锁骨中均随与血管源距离的增加而增加。此外，似乎听小骨中的骨细胞退化过程非常迅速且广泛，超过40%的细胞在2岁时死亡。鉴于最近的文献和个人研究结果将骨细胞的功能归因于机械探测器，并考虑到听小骨偶尔会发生骨重塑，推测这些骨骼中的骨细胞死亡可能是一种程序性现象（凋亡？），由于这种现象它们失去了对应变和应力作出反应的能力，并实现了执行其特殊定型功能所需的结构稳定性。
