Current and emerging histomorphometric and imaging techniques for assessing age-at-death and cortical bone quality

• NCJ Number: 305734
• Journal: WIREs Forensic Science Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: 2021
• Author(s): Andronowski, Janna M.; Cole, Mary E.
• Date Published: 2021
• Length: 37 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2017-MU-CX-0009; 2018-DU-BX-0188
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Longitudinal Effects of Prolonged Opioid Use on Cortical Bone Remodeling in a Rabbit Model; Optimizing Bone Loss Across the Lifespan: The Three-Dimensional Structure of Porosity in the Human Femoral Neck and Rib As a Metric of Bone Fragility

Annotation

This review critically explores the methodological approaches used historically by researchers to assess the products of remodeling within cortical bone and relate it to age-at-death estimation, extending from histology to modern ex vivo imaging modalities, and discusses the growing potential of in vivo imaging.

Abstract

The review concludes with an introduction to cutting-edge in vivo four-dimensional imaging techniques that include the use of animal models to shed new light on the dynamic nature of bone, and the processes of bone aging and disease. Data gleaned from these new insights will ultimately lead to the development of future histologic age-estimation methods in forensic anthropology. (Publisher abstract provided)