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A 3D Morphological Analysis of the Ontogenetic Patterning of Human Subchondral Bone Microarchitecture in the Proximal Tibia

Goliath, Jesse Roberto

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Anthropology.
The objective of this research was to test the hypotheses that ontogenetic patterns of change in tibial subchondral trabecular and cortical bone microstructure are age and condyle site-specific due to differential loading associated with changing joint kinetics and body mass. High-resolution computed tomography (HR-CT) images were acquired for 31 human tibiae, ranging in age from 8 to 37.5 years. The skeletal samples are from Norris Farms #36 site, a cemetery mound in the central Illinois River valley associated with the Oneota culture, dating to A.D. 1300. This bioarchaeological sample was chosen for this study because of its cultural and biological homogeneity, high number of subadult individuals, extensive archaeological context, and excellent preservation. Proximal epiphyses were digitally isolated for analysis as regions of interest (ROIs) using Avizo Fire 6.2 and 8.1.1. 3D resolution-corrected morphometric analysis of subchondral bone architecture was performed for 11 cubic volumes of interest (VOIs) using the BoneJ plugin for ImageJ. VOIs were positioned within and between the tibial condyles within the epiphyseal region. The analysis of the subchondral cortical plate was accomplished through dual-threshold cortical masking. Ontogenetic patterns in the epiphysis of the proximal tibia were described using eight 3D morphological parameters: bone volume fraction (BV/TV), mean trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), mean trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp), structure model index (SMI), connectivity density (Conn.D), degree of anisotropy (DA), trabecular number (Tb.N), and cortical thickness (Ct.Th) in the subchondral cortical plate. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to examine the association between region, age, and each of the eight structural parameters. For analysis, individuals were divided into four age categories: child, adolescent, young adult, and middle age. The findings of this study indicate that age-related changes in mechanical loading have heterogeneous effects on trabecular bone morphology within the proximal tibia. Specifically, there were significant differences in BV/TV (α = 0.033), Conn.D (α = 0.001), DA (α = 0.012), and Plate Ct.Th (α = 0.000) across age. With age, subchondral trabecular microstructure increased in bone volume fraction and degree of anisotropy, and decreased in connectivity density. In the subchondral cortical plate, there is an age-related increase in thickness. When comparing condylar regions, only the degree of anisotropy significantly differed (α = 0.004) between medial and lateral condyles. The trabeculae in the medial condyle were more anisotropic than the lateral region. These results indicate that age-related changes in loading have varied effects on subchondral cortical and trabecular bone morphology within the proximal tibia. More specifically, trabeculae in the medial condyle are likely more directly influenced by loading than trabeculae in the lateral condyle during growth. Ultimately, trabeculae in the epiphyseal region are likely more directly influenced by mechanical forces during growth. The differential response of trabecular bone to changing mechanical loads during growth and development serves as a powerful tool to evaluate the significance of mechanical loading on adult trabecular bone morphology. Understanding the spatial specifics of ontogenetic processes during subchondral bone development can offer insights into adult morphological variation in joint health and disease.
Samuel Stout, PhD (Advisor)
James Gosman, M.D, PhD (Committee Member)
Mark Hubbe, PhD (Committee Member)
Clark Larsen, PhD (Committee Member)
Scott McGraw, PhD (Committee Member)
266 p.

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Citations

  • Goliath, J. R. (2017). A 3D Morphological Analysis of the Ontogenetic Patterning of Human Subchondral Bone Microarchitecture in the Proximal Tibia [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273830449469

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Goliath, Jesse. A 3D Morphological Analysis of the Ontogenetic Patterning of Human Subchondral Bone Microarchitecture in the Proximal Tibia . 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273830449469.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Goliath, Jesse. "A 3D Morphological Analysis of the Ontogenetic Patterning of Human Subchondral Bone Microarchitecture in the Proximal Tibia ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1494273830449469

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)