Haversian osteons:​ size, distribution, internal structure, and orientation

Black, Jonathan; Mattson, Richard; Korostoff, Edward

Affiliations

¹Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

²Veterans Administration Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

³School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

⁴School of Metallurgy and Materials Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Abstract

Measurements of Haversian osteons in human tibial cortical bone specimens from seven donors demonstrate that, for this study:

Haversian osteonal area, as a proportion of cross‐sectional area of cortical bone, increases with the age of the donor, whether or not the area of the central Haversian canal is taken into account.
Haversian canal area, as a proportion of cross‐sectional area of cortical bone, either remains the same or increases with the age of the donor.
The number of osteons present per unit cross‐sectional area has no observable age dependence.
The percent inorganic content or cortical bone increases with the age of the donor.

Optical studies on thin sections of cortical bone, utilizing crossed polarizing filters, suggest that the classification of osteons as light, dark and intermediate, as proposed by others (Anat. Rec., 161, 377 (1968)) is incorrect in that only one general type of Haversian osteon structure was detected in this study.

Links

DOI: 10.1002/jbm.820080512

PubMed: 4426907

WoS: A1974U808500010

History

Received: 1973-08-27

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