This chapter introduces the reader to theory and research methods used to study the functional morphology of the human skeleton. The chapter provides a brief overview of the different forces acting on bones and then introduces theories for how bone functionally adapts to varying loads, referencing Wolff’s law and critiques thereof. A variety of medical imaging technologies enable nondestructive analysis of the internal structures of the human skeleton. Standard radiography (now available digitally) enables observation of the internal structure of bones, but provides only a two-dimensional image. Biplanar radiography enables only an approximation of three-dimensional shape. Bone density can be determined by densitometry (e.g., DEXA) or by CT imaging with a bone density phantom for calibration. Computed tomography (CT) uses X-rays to provide images of transverse slices along the bone axis, which can then be translated into three-dimensional models through a process called segmentation. Three-dimensional imaging from CT is ideal for functional morphology research to examine variation in the shape of bones as a result of factors such as sexual dimorphism, body mass, and activity patterns, among others. These methods have the added benefit of providing a digital archive of human skeletal collections. (Publisher abstract provided.)
Functional Morphology and Medical Imaging
NCJ Number
310681
Date Published
2013
Length
27 pages
Abstract
Date Published: January 1, 2013