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Histomorphometric Methods Applied to Bone

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Histology of Ancient Human Bone: Methods and Diagnosis

Abstract

Histomorphometry, or quantitative histology, consists of counting or measuring tissue components: the cells or the extracellular constituents or both. Because of the well-architectured three-dimensional organization of bone tissue, because this tissue is continuously remodelled throughout life, and because most types of bone diseases are anatomically characterized by a quantitative abnormality, this quantitative approach is particularly advantageous for the analysis of age-related physiological bone changes and of the pathophysiology of bone diseases. Indeed, bone histomorphometry applied to well-preserved undecalcified samples permits the measurement not only of static parameters, such as the bone volume, the imprints of previous bone remodelling events and the number of cells, but also of dynamic parameters, by the use of the tetracycline double labelling procedure (Frost 1969). This process has permitted the introduction of the dimension of time into the quantitative analysis, thus providing access to vital information on organ, tissue and cell turnover kinetics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U 234 Pathologie des Tissues Calcifies Faculté Alexis Carrel, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Rue Guillaume Paradin, F-69372, Lyon Cedex 08, France

    Georges Boivin & Pierre J. Meunier

Authors
  1. Georges Boivin
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  2. Pierre J. Meunier
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Anthropologie und Humangenetik, Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, W-8000, München 2, Germany

    Gisela Grupe

  2. 90 Conyngham Road, M14 5EA, Manchester, UK

    A. Neil Garland

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© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Boivin, G., Meunier, P.J. (1993). Histomorphometric Methods Applied to Bone. In: Grupe, G., Garland, A.N. (eds) Histology of Ancient Human Bone: Methods and Diagnosis. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77001-2_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-77001-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-77003-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-77001-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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