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Bone histomorphometry

  • Chapter
Methods in Bone Biology

Abstract

Bone histomorphometry is the means by which bone remodelling, modelling and structure may be quantitatively assessed. It provides information that is not currently available from other approaches, such as bone densitometry and biochemical markers of bone turnover, and enables a more precise characterization of disease states and their response to treatment than can be obtained from qualitative examination of bone histology. In recent years there have been significant advances in histomorphometric techniques, most notably the use of computerized rather than manual techniques and the development of sophisticated approaches to the assessment of bone microarchitecture. The application of these techniques has been particularly valuable in determining the cellular pathophysiology of different forms of osteoporosis and in defining the mechanisms by which drugs affect bone. This chapter reviews current methodology with particular reference to its application in humans; however, the techniques described are also widely used in animal research, especially in the context of preclinical testing of drugs for osteoporosis.

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Authors
  1. Juliet Compston
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK

    Timothy R. Arnett

  2. Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, UK

    Brian Henderson

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© 1998 Chapman and Hall Ltd

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Compston, J. (1998). Bone histomorphometry. In: Arnett, T.R., Henderson, B. (eds) Methods in Bone Biology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-38227-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-38227-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-75770-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-585-38227-2

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