title: Age-related and gender-related differences between human vertebral and iliac crest bone--a histomorphometric study on the population of the Mediterranean Coast of Croatia.
abstract: In this study, osseous tissue was examined in normal adult population that has inhabited areas by the Croatian Adriatic Sea. The most of such studies have shown that women are prone to lose bone connectedness, while men are predisposed to be a stronger constitution and they start with greater bone mass, though. Bone samples from two different anatomic sites were analyzed. The crista iliaca and the lumbar vertebra represent functionally different organs too. We wanted to consider weather the same age- and gender-related changes affect these two organs due to normal aging. Static histomorphometry was used to quantify involution changes in the trabecular bone. Results showed that involution process more severely affects women than men. Age-related structural changes were more prominent in lumbar vertebra than in iliac crest bone. Severe structural changes in lumbar vertebra could subsequently lead to a dysfunctional and deformed vertebral column. Therefore, iliac crest bone biopsies could hardly explain involution process that affects lumbar spine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University Hospital Split, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Zdenko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ostojić
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cvijanović
authors.forename: Dragica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bobinac
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoricić
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marić
authors.forename: Zeljka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Crncević-Orlić
authors.forename: Radovan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mihelić
authors.forename: Ljerka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ostojić
authors.forename: Pavao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petrović
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015519:Bone Density; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics