Open AccessSexual dimorphism and age dependence of osteocyte lacunar density for human vertebral cancellous bone
Author(s) -
Vashishth Deepak,
Gibson Gary J.,
Fyhrie David P.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the anatomical record part a: discoveries in molecular, cellular, and evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1552-4892
pISSN - 1552-4884
DOI - 10.1002/ar.a.20146
Subject(s) - sexual dimorphism , osteocyte , cancellous bone , anatomy , bone density , orthodontics , biology , medicine , osteoporosis , pathology , osteoblast , biochemistry , in vitro
The sexual dimorphism in age‐related loss of human vertebral cancellous bone is not fully understood and could be related to dimorphism in the bone cell populations. The objective of this study was to investigate age‐ and gender‐related differences in the osteocyte population and its relationship with bone volume fraction for human vertebral cancellous bone. Histomorphometric techniques were used to quantify osteocyte lacunae (a measure of osteocyte population) and bone volume fraction in male and female human T12 vertebrae, the most common site of vertebral fracture. Two measures of osteocyte population [number of osteocytes per bone area (OtLcDn) and number of osteocytes per total area (OtLcN/TA)] and their relationships with age and bone volume fraction were found to be sexually dimorphic. Dimorphism in osteocyte density may explain the dimorphic patterns of bone loss in human vertebrae due to the sensory and signal communication functions that osteocytes perform. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.