This article examines the effects of mobility impairment on human long bone trabecular and cortical structure, using high-resolution micro-computed tomography, with the goal of allowing such conditions to be recognized in individuals in a forensic context and therefore help in the identification of unknown human remains or in bioarchaeological contexts.
The paper reports on a project that examined the differences and patterns in the bone microstructure, depending on whether the condition that led to mobility impairment involved retention or loss of muscle function, whether there is a correlated effect in the humerus as a non-weight bearing bone, and how bone structural changes associated with aging compare to those related to mobility impairment. The research methodology included micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging of both left and right femora and humeri of 69 individuals that had experienced mobility impairment during life, as well as one femur and humerus of sex and age-matched full mobility individuals. It describes the quantification of the trabecular architecture; and reports findings that demonstrated how individuals that experienced mobility impairment during life had significantly less femoral bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and greater spacing (Tb.Sp) than the full-mobility individuals. Other results are also reported, which help improve scientists’ understanding of bone functional adaptation as associated with reduced loading and disuse. The research also has implications for detecting and diagnosing mobility impairment in unidentified human skeletal remains.
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