Pathological Bones Research Articles

An algorithm for the surgical approach to spontaneous temporal bone CSF leak

ObjectiveTo suggest a comprehensive algorithm for the surgical approach for correcting of sources of temporal bone CSF leaks. MethodsA case series for patients operated in a single academic tertiary referral center between 2011 and 4.2022. Included in the study were 46 patients, 5 of whom had a bilateral problem, resulting in 51 pathologic temporal bones. The presentation was an active CSF leak (38 patients) or bacterial otogenic meningitis (8 patients). Follow up ranged from 8 months to 5 years. ResultsOf the 42 ears operated via the default middle fossa approach, 37 were successful (88 %) in controlling CSF leak. None had intracranial complications or sensorineural hearing loss. Location, number and size of the defects, hearing status, associated superior semicircular canal dehiscence, additional intra-temporal or intra-cranial pathologies may indicate a transmastoid approach. Of the six ears that had a canal wall up mastoidectomy as a primary procedure, one required revision due to ongoing CSF leak. Five revision cases and three primary cases were effectively sealed with a subtotal petrosectomy and obliteration. One was lost to follow-up. Hearing was reconstructed with bone-anchored hearing implants in 6 out of these 8 ears. ConclusionsThe middle fossa approach could be used as a default approach for sealing TD. There are a number of indications for transmastoid approaches in both primary and revision cases. Obliteration of the ear was used in all revision cases. The suggested algorithm can help in planning surgery for temporal bone CSF leaks or a history of otogenic meningitis.

Histological analysis and etiology of a pathological iguanodontian femur from England.

Derived ornithopods, such as hadrosaurids, show a high occurrence of fossilized lesions and diseases. However, paleopathologies in iguanodontians seem to be less common, considering the rich fossil record of these taxa in Europe, in particular in Belgium, Britain and Spain. Here, we describe an iguanodontian femur discovered in England that exhibits a large overgrowth of its lateral aspect, not previously recognized in any other similar remains. The specimen was scanned with micro-computed tomography (microCT) and later sectioned in three sites of the overgrowth for histological analysis. The femur belongs to an early adult Iguanodontia indet., based on the presence of a woven parallel fibered complex in the outer cortex and three to four lines of arrested growth. Internal analysis of the dome-like overgrowth suggests it can be diagnosed as a fracture callus. The injury might have negatively impacted upon the animal's locomotion as the trauma had occurred in the region above the knee, a crucial spot for hindlimb musculature. Finally, a cancellous medullary bone-like tissue was recognized in the medullary cavity next to the pathological overgrowth. An attempt was made to determine the precise nature of this tissue, as medullary bone is linked with the ovulation period in (avian) dinosaurs, whereas other types of endosteal, medullary bone-like tissue have previously been recognized in pathological bones.

Quantitative 1H Magnetic Resonance Imaging on Normal and Pathologic Rat Bones by Solid-State 1H ZTE Sequence with Water and Fat Suppression.

Osteoporosis (OP) and osteomalacia (OM) are metabolic bone diseases characterized by mineral and matrix density changes. Quantitative bone matrix density differentiates OM from OP. MRI is a noninvasive and nonionizing imaging technique that can measure bone matrix density quantitatively in ex vivo and in vivo. To demonstrate water + fat suppressed 1H MRI to compute bone matrix density in ex vivo rat femurs in the preclinical model. Prospective. Fifteen skeletally mature female Sprague-Dawley rats, five per group (normal, ovariectomized (OVX), partially nephrectomized/vitamin D (Vit-D) deficient), 250-275 g, ∼15 weeks old. 7T, zero echo time sequence with water + fat (VAPOR) suppression capability, μCT imaging, and gravimetric measurements. Cortical and trabecular bone segments from normal and disease models were scanned in the same coil along with a dual calibration phantom for quantitative assessment of bone matrix density. ANOVA and linear regression were used for data analysis, with P-values <0.05 statistically significant. The MRI-derived three-density PEG pellet densities have a strong linear relationship with physical density measures (r2 = 0.99). The Vit-D group had the lowest bone matrix density for cortical bone (0.47 ± 0.16 g cm-3), whereas the OVX had the lowest bone matrix density for trabecular bone (0.26 ± 0.04 g cm-3). Gravimetry results confirmed these MRI-based observations for Vit-D cortical (0.51 ± 0.07 g cm-3) and OVX trabecular (0.26 ± 0.03 g cm-3) bone groups. Rat femur images were obtained using a modified pulse sequence and a custom-designed double-tuned (1H/31P) transmit-receive solenoid-coil on a 7T preclinical MRI scanner. Phantom experiments confirmed a strong linear relation between MRI-derived and physical density measures and quantitative bone matrix densities in rat femurs from normal, OVX, and Vit-D deficient/partially nephrectomized animals were computed. 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

New information on paleopathologies in non-avian theropod dinosaurs: a case study on South American abelisaurids

Studies on pathological fossil bones have allowed improving the knowledge of physiology and ecology, and consequently the life history of extinct organisms. Among extinct vertebrates, non-avian dinosaurs have drawn attention in terms of pathological evidence, since a wide array of fossilized lesions and diseases were noticed in these ancient organisms. Here, we evaluate the pathological conditions observed in individuals of different brachyrostran (Theropoda, Abelisauridae) taxa, including Aucasaurus garridoi, Elemgasem nubilus, and Quilmesaurus curriei. For this, we use multiple methodological approaches such as histology and computed tomography, in addition to the macroscopic evaluation. The holotype of Aucasaurus shows several pathognomonic traits of a failure of the vertebral segmentation during development, causing the presence of two fused caudal vertebrae. The occurrence of this condition in Aucasaurus is the first case to be documented so far in non-tetanuran theropods. Regarding the holotype of Elemgasem, the histology of two fused vertebrae shows an intervertebral space between the centra, thus the fusion is limited to the distal rim of the articular surfaces. This pathology is here considered as spondyloarthropathy, the first evidence for a non-tetanuran theropod. The microstructural arrangement of the right tibia of Quilmesaurus shows a marked variation in a portion of the outer cortex, probably due to the presence of the radial fibrolamellar bone tissue. Although similar bone tissue is present in other extinct vertebrates and the cause of its formation is still debated, it could be a response to some kind of pathology. Among non-avian theropods, traumatic injuries are better represented than other maladies (e.g., infection, congenital or metabolic diseases, etc.). These pathologies are recovered mainly among large-sized theropods such as Abelisauridae, Allosauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, and Tyrannosauridae, and distributed principally among axial elements. Statistical tests on the distribution of injuries in these theropod clades show a strong association between taxa-pathologies, body regions-pathologies, and taxa-body regions, suggesting different life styles and behaviours may underlie the frequency of different injuries among theropod taxa.

Quantitative 31P magnetic resonance imaging on pathologic rat bones by ZTE at 7T

BackgroundOsteoporosis is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD), which predisposes individuals to frequent fragility fractures. Quantitative BMD measurements can potentially help distinguish bone pathologies and allow clinicians to provide disease-relieving therapies. Our group has developed non-invasive and non-ionizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to measure bone mineral density quantitatively. Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is a clinically approved non-invasive modality to diagnose osteoporosis but has associated disadvantages and limitations. PurposeEvaluate the clinical feasibility of phosphorus (31P) MRI as a non-invasive and non-ionizing medical diagnostic tool to compute bone mineral density to help differentiate between different metabolic bone diseases. Materials and methodsFifteen ex-vivo rat bones in three groups [control, ovariectomized (osteoporosis), and vitamin-D deficient (osteomalacia - hypo-mineralized) were scanned to compute BMD. A double-tuned (1H/31P) transmit-receive single RF coil was custom-designed and in-house-built with a better filling factor and strong radiofrequency (B1) field to acquire solid-state 31P MR images from rat femurs with an optimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Micro-computed tomography (μCT) and gold-standard gravimetric analyses were performed to compare and validate MRI-derived bone mineral densities. ResultsThree-dimensional 31P MR images of rat bones were obtained with a zero-echo-time (ZTE) sequence with 468 μm spatial resolution and 12–17 SNR on a Bruker 7 T Biospec having multinuclear capability. BMD was measured quantitatively on cortical and trabecular bones with a known standard reference. A strong positive correlation (R = 0.99) and a slope close to 1 in phantom measurements indicate that the densities measured by 31P ZTE MRI are close to the physical densities in computing quantitative BMD. The 31P NMR properties (resonance linewidth of 4 kHz and T1 of 67 s) of ex-vivo rat bones were measured, and 31P ZTE imaging parameters were optimized. The BMD results obtained from MRI are in good agreement with μCT and gravimetry results. ConclusionQuantitative measurements of BMD on ex-vivo rat femurs were successfully conducted on a 7 T preclinical scanner. This study suggests that quantitative measurements of BMD are feasible on humans in clinical MRI with suitable hardware, RF coils, and pulse sequences with optimized parameters within an acceptable scan time since human femurs are approximately ten times larger than rat femurs. As MRI provides quantitative in-vivo data, various systemic musculoskeletal conditions can be diagnosed potentially in humans.

Combination of flexible intramedullary nailing and Ilizarov frame for salvage of femur and humerus nonunion in a girl with osteogenesis imperfecta

Background Fixation of pathological long bones with telescopic intramedullary rods is well known to be a technically challenging procedure even in specialist centres, with a high complication rate due to rod migration, hardware failure, nonunion or malunion. However there is very little guidance in the literature regarding salvage treatment options when failure occurs.Aim We demonstrate a surgical technique that can be used for salvage treatment of both femoral and humeral complex nonunions following Fassier-Duval (FD) rodding in a child with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI).Case description A 13 year-old girl with OI type VIII presented sequentially with nonunion and deformity of the femur then the humerus following previous FD rods in those segments. The femur was also complicated with metallosis between the steel rod and an overlying titanium plate. Both segments were treated with pseudarthrosis debridement, removal of metalwork and stabilisation with hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated flexible intramedullary nails, with temporary Ilizarov frame to provide enough longitudinal and rotational stability to allow immediate weight-bearing. The femur Ilizarov frame was removed after 64 days, and the femur remained straight and fully healed at 2.5 years. The frame time for the humerus was 40 days, complete union was achieved and upper limb function restored and maintained at 9 months.Discussion The transphyseal telescopic rod is the traditional implant of choice in terms of treating fractures and stabilising osteotomies for deformity in OI. However, it does not provide enough torsional or longitudinal stability by itself to allow early weight-bearing which is detrimental to bone healing in this vulnerable patient group. The incidence of delayed union or nonunion at osteotomy site in telescopic rod application is not negligible: up to 14.5-51.5 %. Although the technique we have shown in this case may not be applied to all complex OI patients, we believe that the combination of flexible intramedullary nails and Ilizarov frame provides a favourable environment for bone healing in complex or revision cases. As a secondary learning point the initial revision surgery to the left femur demonstrated the perils of using a steel rod and a titanium plate in a biologically active environment which in this case lead to metallosis and lysis.Conclusion We found the technique of HA-coated flexible intramedullary nails combined with the Ilizarov frame effective in the salvage of failed telescopic rods in both femur and humerus and feel this technique can be used as a salvage option in similar cases worldwide. This case also demonstrates the perils of using different metals in combined internal fixation.

A novel image augmentation based on statistical shape and intensity models: application to the segmentation of hip bones from CT images

BackgroundThe collection and annotation of medical images are hindered by data scarcity, privacy, and ethical reasons or limited resources, negatively affecting deep learning approaches. Data augmentation is often used to mitigate this problem, by generating synthetic images from training sets to improve the efficiency and generalization of deep learning models.MethodsWe propose the novel use of statistical shape and intensity models (SSIM) to generate augmented images with variety in both shape and intensity of imaged structures and surroundings. The SSIM uses segmentations from training images to create co-registered tetrahedral meshes of the structures and to efficiently encode image intensity in their interior with Bernstein polynomials. In the context of segmentation of hip joint (pathological) bones from retrospective computed tomography images of 232 patients, we compared the impact of SSIM-based and basic augmentations on the performance of a U-Net model.ResultsIn a fivefold cross-validation, the SSIM augmentation improved segmentation robustness and accuracy. In particular, the combination of basic and SSIM augmentation outperformed trained models not using any augmentation, or relying exclusively on a simple form of augmentation, achieving Dice similarity coefficient and Hausdorff distance of 0.95 [0.93–0.96] and 6.16 [4.90–8.08] mm (median [25th–75th percentiles]), comparable to previous work on pathological hip segmentation.ConclusionsWe proposed a novel augmentation varying both the shape and appearance of structures in generated images. Tested on bone segmentation, our approach is generalizable to other structures or tasks such as classification, as long as SSIM can be built from training data.Relevance statementOur data augmentation approach produces realistic shape and appearance variations of structures in generated images, which supports the clinical adoption of AI in radiology by alleviating the collection of clinical imaging data and by improving the performance of AI applications.Key points• Data augmentation generally improves the accuracy and generalization of deep learning models.• Traditional data augmentation does not consider the appearance of imaged structures.• Statistical shape and intensity models (SSIM) synthetically generate variations of imaged structures.• SSIM support novel augmentation approaches, demonstrated with computed tomography bone segmentation.Graphical abstract

Standardization of mineral density maps of physiologic and pathologic biominerals in humans using cone-beam CT and micro-CT scanners

ObjectivesThe lack of standardized X-ray imaging remains a challenge for comparative studies on spatial scans acquired from different clinic-specific X-ray scanners. The central objectives of this study are: 1) to delineate mineral density (MD) values, and 2) generate spatial MD maps of various physiologic and pathologic biominerals, and 3) propose a standardization protocol within the safe-operating zone of a CT scanner that underpins normalization of absorbed dose to shape and density of tissues. MethodsA systematic approach to propose a standardization protocol for CT imaging in vivo included: 1) estimation of pathologic MD ranges by performing a comparative meta-analysis on 2009–2019 data from the PubMed database; 2) calibration of cone-beam CT (CBCT) and micro-CT scanners with phantoms of known mineral densities (0, 250, 500, 750 and 3000 mg/cc) and shapes (cylinders and polyhedrons); 3) scanning craniofacial bones (N = 5) and dental tissues (N = 5), and ectopic minerals from humans (N = 3 each, pulp, salivary gland, kidney and prostrate stones, and penile and vascular plaques); 4) underscoring the effect of shape-factor (surface area-to-volume ratio) on MD of biominerals. ResultsHigher MDs of physiologic and pathologic cortical bones (504–1009 mg/cc) compared to trabecular bone (82–212 mg/cc) were observed. An increase in shape-factor increased the CBCT error in MD measurement and revealed that the scanner resolution is dependent on the absorbed dose and shape-factor of detectable features. SignificanceCT scanners should be calibrated with phantoms containing segments of known shape-factors and mineral densities to identify safe-operating zones. The calibrated approach will narrow the gap between length-scale dependent measurements, and will permit spatiotemporal quantitative and reliable detection of pathologies.

Multiscale characterization of pathological bone tissue

ABSTRACTBone is a complex natural material with a complex hierarchical multiscale organization, crucial to perform its functions. Ultrastructural analysis of bone is crucial for our understanding of cell to cell communication, the healthy or pathological composition of bone tissue, and its three‐dimensional (3D) organization. A variety of techniques has been used to analyze bone tissue. This article describes a combined approach of optical, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy for the ultrastructural analysis of bone from the nanoscale to the macroscale, as illustrated by two pathological bone tissues. By following a top‐down approach to investigate the multiscale organization of pathological bones, quantitative estimates were made in terms of calcium content, nearest neighbor distances of osteocytes, canaliculi diameter, ordering, and D‐spacing of the collagen fibrils, and the orientation of intrafibrillar minerals which enable us to observe the fine structural details. We identify and discuss a series of two‐dimensional (2D) and 3D imaging techniques that can be used to characterize bone tissue. By doing so we demonstrate that, while 2D imaging techniques provide comparable information from pathological bone tissues, significantly different structural details are observed upon analyzing the pathological bone tissues in 3D. Finally, particular attention is paid to sample preparation for and quantitative processing of data from electron microscopic analysis.

Sex Determination of Dry Human Mandible Using Metrical Parameters in Mahakaushal Region of Madhya Pradesh, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Determination of sex and age from skeletal remains is not only important for forensic science but also for Anatomy, Forensic Odontology, Anthropology and Palaeontology examination. Mandible next to the pelvis in human remains help us in the identification of age, sex, and race. Aim: To determine sex by using metrical parameters in dry human mandible. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study contained 104 dry human mandibles of undetermined age and unknown sex (as they were not recorded at the time of acquisition) belonging to the Indian population was obtained from NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. All adult (mandible with presence of bilateral molar teeth; prominent alveolar sockets; intact condylar and coronoid processes; well- developed bone), intact and well-formed mandible were taken and broken, deformed, pathological bones were excluded. Statistically analysed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows, version 16.0. results: Out of the 13 parameters studied statistically highly significant difference in sex was observed in bicondylar breadth, bigonial breadth, coronoid breadth, angle of mandible, mandibular length, diagonal length and coronoid height, length of lower jaw. conclusion: The present study utilises the 13 different metrical parameters. The application of these 13 metrical parameters along with morphological features could be a useful tool for sex determination of the mandible.

Skeletal pathologies track body plan evolution in ichthyosaurs

Changing predator-prey interactions during the Mesozoic Marine Revolution (MMR) profoundly altered the trajectory of marine tetrapod evolution. Here, we assess potential signatures of this landmark transition through the fossil record of skeletal pathologies in ichthyosaurs — iconic marine reptiles that developed increasingly ‘fish-like’ body plans over time. We surveyed a stratigraphically constrained sample of 200 Middle Triassic ichthyosaur specimens and compared the type, distribution and prevalence of pathologies with an approximately equivalent assemblage of Early Jurassic age. Overall, skeletal pathologies were equally prevalent in these groups, and most often manifested in species >4 m long. However, pathological bones were found to be concentrated in the hind limbs and tail of Triassic ichthyosaurs, whereas the jaws, forelimbs, and ribcage were preferentially affected in Jurassic taxa. We posit that the occurrence of ankylosed zygapophyses in the caudal peak of Triassic ichthyosaurs could represent a functional by-product of their primitive ‘eel-like’ swimming. Conversely, increased instances of broken ribs in Jurassic ichthyosaurs may infer ramming or tail strike behaviours that characterise morphologically ‘fish-like’ marine tetrapods, such as modern toothed whales. Different categories of skeletal pathologies thus evidently reflect structural modifications in the ichthyosaur body plan, and indirectly coincide with ecological turnover during the MMR.

Super Scan Caused by Parathyroid Carcinoma Observed Both in 18F-FDG PET/CT Scan and Tc-99m MDP Bone Scintigraphy

Super scan is a well-known finding described in skeletal scintigraphy characterized by uniform symmetrically increased radiopharmaceutical uptake by bones and consequently diminished renal parenchymal activity. Sy et al. hypothesized that the faint visualization of renal cortex in bone scintigraphy might be the result of increased uptake of radiopharmaceutical by pathologic bones and reduced phosphate excretion. The super scan on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) has been observed in various conditions such as prostate cancer, lung cancer, renal adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer and primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney. Herein we report the first case of super scan in a 68-year-old-woman with parathyroid carcinoma observed both in 18F-FDG PET/CT and Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy. There were extensive hypermetabolic lesions throughout the skeleton in 18F-FDG PET/CT. In contrast to the intense hypermetabolism of the skeleton; the liver, skeletal muscles of the limbs, mediastinum, bowel and especially the brain showed very low FDG uptake. Additionally, there was increased skeletal radiotracer uptake relative to soft tissue, and faint genitourinary tract activity in bone scintigraphy.

Multi analytical technique study of human bones from an archaeological discovery

In 1953, during the building restoration of San Michele church (Bono, Sardinia, 16th–19th Century), a high number of disarticulated skeletons were recovered. From a group of 412 hip bones, two of these, affected by several pathological lesions, were analysed. The two coxal bones can be referred to the same individual, an adult man. A multi-analytical study, started with the purpose of investigating the bone pathology, was extended to characterize the mineral components of a large representative set of bones from the same ossuary, all attributed to adult men who lived in the region four-two centuries ago. A quantitative ICP-AES analysis for Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, Pb and Zn was executed, and a chemometric investigation on the results was performed. This approach gave evidence of the effects of diagenesis, allowed some hypothesis of the incidence of the known dietary habits on bone composition, and completely differentiated the pathological bones from those of a normal population on the basis of the mineral composition. Moreover, porosity, crystallinity and FT-IR analysis were conducted on both non- and pathological sample.

Clinical Results and Complications of Lower Limb Lengthening for Fibular Hemimelia: A Report of Eight Cases.

Fibular hemimelia is a rare but the most common congenital long bone deficiency, encompassing a broad range of anomalies from isolated fibular hypoplasia up to substantial femoral and tibial shortening with ankle deformity and foot deficiency. Most cases of fibular hemimelia manifest clinically significant leg length discrepancy (LLD) with time that requires adequate correction by bone lengthening for stable walking. Bone lengthening procedures, especially those for pathological bones, are sometimes associated with severe complications, such as delayed consolidation, fractures, and deformities of the lengthened bones, leading to prolonged healing time and residual LLD at skeletal maturity. The purpose of this study was to review our clinical results of lower limb lengthening for fibular hemimelia.This study included 8 Japanese patients who diagnosed with fibular hemimelia from physical and radiological findings characteristic of fibular hemimelia and underwent single or staged femoral and/or tibial lengthening during growth or after skeletal maturity. LLD, state of the lengthened callus, and bone alignment were evaluated with full-length radiographs of the lower limb. Previous interventions, associated congenital anomalies, regenerate fractures were recorded with reference to medical charts and confirmed on appropriate radiographs. Successful lengthening was defined as the healing index <50 days/cm without regenerate fractures.A significant difference was observed in age at surgery between successful and unsuccessful lengthening. The incidence of regenerate fractures was significantly correlated with callus maturity before frame removal. LLD was corrected within 11 mm, whereas mechanical axis deviated laterally.Particular attention should be paid to the status of callus maturation and the mechanical axis deviation during the treatment period in fibular hemimelia.

New insights into the lifestyle of Allosaurus (Dinosauria: Theropoda) based on another specimen with multiple pathologies.

Adult large-bodied theropods are often found with numerous pathologies. A large, almost complete, probably adult Allosaurus specimen from the Howe Stephens Quarry, Morrison Formation (Late Kimmeridgian–Early Tithonian), Wyoming, exhibits multiple pathologies. Pathologic bones include the left dentary, two cervical vertebrae, one cervical and several dorsal ribs, the left scapula, the left humerus, the right ischium, and two left pedal phalanges. These pathologies can be classified as follows: the fifth cervical vertebra, the scapula, several ribs and the ischium are probably traumatic, and a callus on the shaft of the left pedal phalanx II-2 is probably traumatic-infectious. Traumatically fractured elements exposed to frequent movement (e.g., the scapula and the ribs) show a tendency to develop pseudarthroses instead of a callus. The pathologies in the lower jaw and a reduced extensor tubercle of the left pedal phalanx II-2 are most likely traumatic or developmental in origin. The pathologies on the fourth cervical are most likely developmental in origin or idiopathic, that on the left humerus could be traumatic, developmental, infectious or idiopathic, whereas the left pedal phalanx IV-1 is classified as idiopathic. With exception of the ischium, all as traumatic/traumatic-infectious classified pathologic elements show unambiguous evidences of healing, indicating that the respective pathologies did not cause the death of this individual. Alignment of the scapula and rib pathologies from the left side suggests that all may have been caused by a single traumatic event. The ischial fracture may have been fatal. The occurrence of multiple lesions interpreted as traumatic pathologies again underlines that large-bodied theropods experienced frequent injuries during life, indicating an active predatory lifestyle, and their survival perhaps supports a gregarious behavior for Allosaurus. Alternatively, the frequent survival of traumatic events could be also related to the presence of non-endothermic metabolic rates that allow survival based on sporadic food consumption or scavenging behavior. Signs of pathologies consistent with infections are scarce and locally restricted, indicating a successful prevention of the spread of pathogens, as it is the case in extant reptiles (including birds).

Measurement method based on thermal analysis for the characterization of frozen and banked human bones

The study reported in this paper is devoted to the characterization, by thermal analysis, of human bones stored at different temperatures. Two types of bone were used, the first healthy and the second one osteoarthritis. The results reported are referred to analysis of the DSC patterns and TG, DTG values of the specimens of femoral-head banked at -30 °C and -80 °C immediately after the surgical removal or washed with acetone and then stored. These treatments must be performed immediately after the surgery in order to prevent the degradation of the collagen protein, i.e. collagenases. The thermodynamic differences between the healthy and the pathological bones add to biological contraindication as to why the osteoarthritis bone cannot be utilized for allograft.

On porosity of archeological bones I — Textural characterization of pathological Spanish medieval human bones

Bone texture may vary as a function of age, pathology as well as on bone treatments; thus absolute values of specific surface area or porosity are not often reported. A review of the anthropological and archeological references reveals that the results obtained with the current methodologies for the textural analysis of bone may be contradictory. Indeed, the characterization of archeological bone is a very difficult task through conventional techniques. Still, it is most relevant as porosity is the symptom of several pathologies, for instance anemia, osteoporosis, hyperostosis or syphilis.In this work, archeological bone samples – pathological or healthy – were characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms at −196°C, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The studied bones are healthy, osteoporotic, hyperostosic, and syphilitic. Porosity, specific surface area, and morphology as well as non conventional features such as roughness, specific surface or fractal dimension, are correlated with the well known macroscopical reported symptoms. The samples come from Moorish Andalucía (Grenade) and Medieval Catalonia (Poblet Monastery).

On porosity of archeological bones II. Textural characterization of Mesoamerican human bones

Human bone porosity may be an indicator of many bone diseases but it can also reflect the influence of postmortem alterations. The usually reported values for textural parameters, such as specific surface area or porosity of archeological bones, are not consistent as pathology and taphonomy may alter bone morphology at nano and/or micrometrical levels. To illustrate those points, four archeological human bones were chosen; they differ in the environment where they were found and on their attributed diseases.Complementary analysis techniques commonly mentioned in material science were used to characterize the chosen samples: gas adsorption, small angle X-ray scattering and scanning electron microscopy. It is shown that, even if the differences between human pathological and healthy bones can be clear in fresh materials, such alterations may be masked by taphonomy in archeological bones.

Isotopic examination of links between diet, social differentiation, and DISH at the post‐medieval Carmelite Friary of Aalst, Belgium

Stable isotope ratios (δ(13) C and δ(15) N) were measured in human burials from the post-medieval (16th-18th c. AD) Carmelite friary burial grounds at Aalst, a town in Flanders, Belgium. Dietary patterns of 39 adult individuals were analyzed, from a mixed monastic and lay population buried in three different locations, reflecting groups with differing social status. The data show significant variation in the consumption of perhaps meat, but certainly also marine protein between females and males. This result represents a remarkable continuity with medieval dietary patterns, suggesting that the social and economic changes of the early modern period had a limited effect on everyday life. When both sexes were examined together, individuals buried in the cloister garth consumed significantly less marine protein compared to people buried in the church, likely reflecting social stratification. No statistical differences were observed between isotopic values from the church and the cloister alley, suggesting a similarly diverse diet of the monastic part of the buried population and that of the richer lay population. Finally, the hypothesis that diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is linked to a diet rich in animal protein was tested. No systematic or statistically significant differences between pathological and non-pathological bones from the same individuals affected with DISH were observed, and no statistical differences were found between individuals with DISH and individuals without DISH.

Quantification of the effect of osteolytic metastases on bone strain within whole vertebrae using image registration

The vertebral column is the most frequent site of metastatic involvement of the skeleton with up to 1/3 of all cancer patients developing spinal metastases. Longer survival times for patients, particularly secondary to breast cancer, have increased the need for better understanding the impact of skeletal metastases on structural stability. This study aims to apply image registration to calculate strain distributions in metastatically involved rodent vertebrae utilizing µCT imaging. Osteolytic vertebral lesions were developed in five rnu/rnu rats 2-3 weeks post intracardiac injection with MT-1 human breast cancer cells. An image registration algorithm was used to calculate and compare strain fields due to axial compressive loading in metastatically involved and control vertebrae. Tumor-bearing vertebrae had greatly increased compressive strains, double the magnitude of strain compared to control vertebrae (p=0.01). Qualitatively strain concentrated within the growth plates in both tumor bearing and control vertebrae. Most interesting was the presence of strain concentrations at the dorsal wall in metastatically involved vertebrae, suggesting structural instability. Strain distributions, quantified by image registration were consistent with known consequences of lytic involvement. Metastatically involved vertebrae had greater strain magnitude than control vertebrae. Strain concentrations at the dorsal wall in only the metastatic vertebrae, were consistent with higher incidence of burst fracture secondary to this pathology. Future use of image registration of whole vertebrae will allow focused examination of the efficacy of targeted and systemic treatments in reducing strains and the related risk of fracture in pathologic bones under simple and complex loading.