Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population
Histomorphometry constitutes a valuable tool for age estimation. Histological interpopulation variability has been shown to affect the accuracy of age estimation techniques and therefore validation studies are required to test the accuracy of the pre-existing methodologies. The present research cons...
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1615 |
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| author | Christina Karydi Julieta Gómez García-Donas Konstantina Tsiminikaki Andrea Bonicelli Konstantinos Moraitis Elena F. Kranioti |
| author_facet | Christina Karydi Julieta Gómez García-Donas Konstantina Tsiminikaki Andrea Bonicelli Konstantinos Moraitis Elena F. Kranioti |
| author_sort | Christina Karydi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Histomorphometry constitutes a valuable tool for age estimation. Histological interpopulation variability has been shown to affect the accuracy of age estimation techniques and therefore validation studies are required to test the accuracy of the pre-existing methodologies. The present research constitutes a validation study of widely known histological methods on the sixth rib and the femoral midshaft of a 19th century British population originating from Blackburn, England. An evaluation of the histomorphometric features of eleven ribs and five femora was performed and used to test the accuracy of selected methods. Results indicated that osteon area and circularity were the only histomorphometric variables that presented significant interpopulation variability. Cho et al.’s method for the ribs and the average value produced using Kerley and Ubelaker’s method for intact osteon and percentage of lamellar bone equations for femur were considered the only reliable markers for estimating the age on the Blackburn sample. In the case of old individuals, Goliath et al.’s method provided more satisfactory results. Overall, the present study provides evidence on the applicability of the aging histomorphometric methods on a British sample and highlights the limitations of applying histomorphometric methods developed on different reference populations than the one under investigation. |
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| id | doaj.art-bfd4a7826c3f4163afd511e529a931c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:15:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfd4a7826c3f4163afd511e529a931c62023-11-24T03:48:19ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-11-011111161510.3390/biology11111615Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British PopulationChristina Karydi0Julieta Gómez García-Donas1Konstantina Tsiminikaki2Andrea Bonicelli3Konstantinos Moraitis4Elena F. Kranioti5Edinburgh Unit for Forensic Anthropology, School of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKEdinburgh Unit for Forensic Anthropology, School of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKEdinburgh Unit for Forensic Anthropology, School of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKEdinburgh Unit for Forensic Anthropology, School of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKDepartment of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian, University of Athens, 11527 Athens, GreeceEdinburgh Unit for Forensic Anthropology, School of History Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UKHistomorphometry constitutes a valuable tool for age estimation. Histological interpopulation variability has been shown to affect the accuracy of age estimation techniques and therefore validation studies are required to test the accuracy of the pre-existing methodologies. The present research constitutes a validation study of widely known histological methods on the sixth rib and the femoral midshaft of a 19th century British population originating from Blackburn, England. An evaluation of the histomorphometric features of eleven ribs and five femora was performed and used to test the accuracy of selected methods. Results indicated that osteon area and circularity were the only histomorphometric variables that presented significant interpopulation variability. Cho et al.’s method for the ribs and the average value produced using Kerley and Ubelaker’s method for intact osteon and percentage of lamellar bone equations for femur were considered the only reliable markers for estimating the age on the Blackburn sample. In the case of old individuals, Goliath et al.’s method provided more satisfactory results. Overall, the present study provides evidence on the applicability of the aging histomorphometric methods on a British sample and highlights the limitations of applying histomorphometric methods developed on different reference populations than the one under investigation.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1615age estimationosteonsUKhistological methodsmicroscopybone remodelling |
| spellingShingle | Christina Karydi Julieta Gómez García-Donas Konstantina Tsiminikaki Andrea Bonicelli Konstantinos Moraitis Elena F. Kranioti Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population Biology age estimation osteons UK histological methods microscopy bone remodelling |
| title | Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population |
| title_full | Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population |
| title_fullStr | Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population |
| title_short | Estimation of Age-at-Death Using Cortical Bone Histomorphometry of the Rib and Femur: A Validation Study on a British Population |
| title_sort | estimation of age at death using cortical bone histomorphometry of the rib and femur a validation study on a british population |
| topic | age estimation osteons UK histological methods microscopy bone remodelling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/11/1615 |
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