Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research
Palaeohistologists who work with well-preserved cortical bone can examine two-dimensional (2D) histology images for quantitative parameters of secondary osteons and Haversian canals to reconstruct past bone remodelling. Standard techniques in this space include area measurements and counts of histol...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Open Quaternary |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.openquaternary.com/articles/117 |
| _version_ | 1797995622905675776 |
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| author | Justyna J. Miszkiewicz Julien Louys Patrick Mahoney |
| author_facet | Justyna J. Miszkiewicz Julien Louys Patrick Mahoney |
| author_sort | Justyna J. Miszkiewicz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Palaeohistologists who work with well-preserved cortical bone can examine two-dimensional (2D) histology images for quantitative parameters of secondary osteons and Haversian canals to reconstruct past bone remodelling. Standard techniques in this space include area measurements and counts of histology components recorded from an image. The ‘point-count’ technique involves counting all the items (e.g., secondary osteons, osteocyte lacunae) of interest per image area. The open access image analysis software ImageJ/FIJI facilitates this technique in a user-friendly way. Raw data points are captured and can be saved in a spreadsheet. Aside from the total number of counts, the software also issues Cartesian (XY) coordinates locating each counted point. These XY coordinates are typically neglected within palaeohistological approaches due their assumed irrelevance to research questions of bone remodelling significance. We provide a short evaluation of XY coordinates captured by ImageJ/FIJI from 2D bone histology images, and a protocol for a simple calculation of XY distances that follow the path of point counting. We focus on osteocyte lacunae which serve as a proxy for osteoblast-osteocyte conversion in live bone by replicating the protocol on a bone sample from a human Medieval English individual. We discuss the potential of XY coordinates for reconstructing the proximity of osteocyte lacunae and related bone remodelling activity through exchange of nutrients by neighbouring cells. We recommend palaeohistologists report XY coordinate data in their results to ensure better vertebrate palaeobiology characterisation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:04:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f8a601fc557f48658953593aa93f9be7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-298X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T10:04:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Quaternary |
| spelling | doaj.art-f8a601fc557f48658953593aa93f9be72022-12-22T04:30:17ZengUbiquity PressOpen Quaternary2055-298X2022-09-018110.5334/oq.11790Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling ResearchJustyna J. Miszkiewicz0Julien Louys1Patrick Mahoney2School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra; School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, AU; Skeletal Biology Research Centre, University of Kent, CanterburyAustralian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, BrisbaneSkeletal Biology Research Centre, University of Kent, CanterburyPalaeohistologists who work with well-preserved cortical bone can examine two-dimensional (2D) histology images for quantitative parameters of secondary osteons and Haversian canals to reconstruct past bone remodelling. Standard techniques in this space include area measurements and counts of histology components recorded from an image. The ‘point-count’ technique involves counting all the items (e.g., secondary osteons, osteocyte lacunae) of interest per image area. The open access image analysis software ImageJ/FIJI facilitates this technique in a user-friendly way. Raw data points are captured and can be saved in a spreadsheet. Aside from the total number of counts, the software also issues Cartesian (XY) coordinates locating each counted point. These XY coordinates are typically neglected within palaeohistological approaches due their assumed irrelevance to research questions of bone remodelling significance. We provide a short evaluation of XY coordinates captured by ImageJ/FIJI from 2D bone histology images, and a protocol for a simple calculation of XY distances that follow the path of point counting. We focus on osteocyte lacunae which serve as a proxy for osteoblast-osteocyte conversion in live bone by replicating the protocol on a bone sample from a human Medieval English individual. We discuss the potential of XY coordinates for reconstructing the proximity of osteocyte lacunae and related bone remodelling activity through exchange of nutrients by neighbouring cells. We recommend palaeohistologists report XY coordinate data in their results to ensure better vertebrate palaeobiology characterisation.https://www.openquaternary.com/articles/117image analysishistomorphometrybone remodellingimagej |
| spellingShingle | Justyna J. Miszkiewicz Julien Louys Patrick Mahoney Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research Open Quaternary image analysis histomorphometry bone remodelling imagej |
| title | Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research |
| title_full | Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research |
| title_fullStr | Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research |
| title_short | Cartesian Coordinates in Two-Dimensional Bone Histology Images for Quaternary Bone Remodelling Research |
| title_sort | cartesian coordinates in two dimensional bone histology images for quaternary bone remodelling research |
| topic | image analysis histomorphometry bone remodelling imagej |
| url | https://www.openquaternary.com/articles/117 |
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