title: A quantitative description of selected stress regions of cancellous bone in the head of the femur using automatic image analysis.
abstract: This study was carried out to describe in quantitative terms histologic parameters from selected regions of the cancellous bone in the normal femoral head. Femoral heads were obtained at autopsy, and blocks from the principal compressive (PC) and principal tensile (PT) regions of a coronal slide were sampled systematically to prepare 10 microns sections for automated histoquantitation using a Quantimet image analyzer. For mineralized bone there was a significant negative regression on age in both principal stress regions, though the quantitative description was not definitive. The principal compressive values of mineralized bone were higher, with no sex difference, compared to the principal tensile values, which showed a sex difference. Changes in trabecular surface, width, and marrow spacing were shown to be more dependent on bone mass than on age. The surface density values were higher, without sex difference for the PC region compared to the PT region, which had a sex difference. There was no regression on age for the PC region but a significant negative regression for the PT region. For mean trabecular thickness, again the values were higher for the PC region, with negative regressions on age for both regions but no sex difference in either region. For spacing, the values were lower for the PC region, with a significant increase with age for both regions but no sex difference in either region. The surface density had positive linear regressions on mineralized bone for both PC and PT regions, though a parabolic regression, based on a model described, was favored.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000032:analysis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000032:analysis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals