title: Histological estimation of age at death from the compact bone of burned and unburned human ribs.
abstract: This study describes the estimation of age at death from the compact bone of burned and unburned human ribs. Bone samples came from individuals of known age, sex, and cause of death. Each bone was divided into four sections; three sections were burned at 700, 800, and 1000°C. Undecalcified, unstained ground cross sections were photographed, and 28 variables were analyzed in the bones using SigmaScan Pro 5. Age-related as well as heat-induced microstructural changes were found. These changes were often very similar and made estimating the age at death difficult in the burned bones. Differences between the sexes were found in some variables, caused by both aging and also by the different behavior of some variables during burning. Regression equations were developed to estimate age at death for unburned bones (r² = 0.579 and 0.707), bones burned at 700°C (r² = 0.453 and 0.501), and 800°C (r² = 0.334 and 0.340).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, 128 00, Prague 2, Czech Republic. karolina.absolonova@seznam.cz
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Absolonova
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veleminsky
authors.forename: Miluse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dobisikova
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beran
authors.forename: Jarmila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zocova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006253:Haversian System / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D012272:Ribs / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013696:Temperature; D055815:Young Adult