Korean J Leg Med.  2007 Nov;31(2):151-156.

Preparation of Bone Slide for Histomorphometry in Forensic Anthropology

• Kim YS
• Jo SM
• Chung IJ
• Chung NE
• Han SH

Abstract

Microscopic analysis of bone is very useful method for estimating age at death of individual identification, diagnosing metabolic disorder or dietary deficiency in bone tissue, and differentiating human bone or not when applied to fragmentary skeletal remains. The purpose of this study was to establish a systematic method for preparing bone tissues by manual grinding method and offer help in application of related histomorphometric field such as estimating age at death. For this, human bone tissues of rib and femur from cadavers were prepared and considered histomorphological variations of osteon with light microscope. As results of this study, Type II osteons, smaller versions of Intact osteons (Type I) that form by radial remodeling of a preexisting Haversian canal, were distinguished from double-zonal osteons, one of the osteons that exhibit hypercalcified ring within their concentric lamellae, by the lack of an internal reversal line and the parallel contours of lamellae, and it is possible to suggest metric basis for drifting osteons as counting one osteon with the exception of size measurement. By applying this method of present study, one could easily make a bone tissue all oneself that would be helpful for establishing basic data in physical and forensic anthropology.

Keyword

age estimation; histomorphometry; osteon; forensic anthropology

MeSH Terms

Bone and Bones
Cadaver
Femur
Forensic Anthropology*
Haversian System
Humans
Ribs