Collagen orientation in compact bone, II:​ distribution of lamellae in the whole of the human femoral shaft with reference to its mechanical properties

Portigliatti Barbos, M.; Bianco, P.; Ascenzi, A.; Boyde, A.

Affiliations

¹Department of Human Biopathology, Section of Morbid Anatomy, La Sapienza University, Via/e Regina Elena 324 (Policlinico), Rome, Italy

²Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University College London, U.K.

Abstract and keywords (English)

Starting from a previous personal investigation (Portigliatti Barbos et al., 1983) indicating that the distribution of osteons and interstitial bone in the middle of the femoral shaft is related to their structure, a new procedure has been devised to allow information of the same kind to be gathered from the whole of the femoral diaphysis. Twenty-three exactly plane parallel cross-sections, 100 μm thick, each located 1 cm from the next, were prepared using an annular blade microtome. the distribution of longitudinal lamellae (whose fiber bundles and crystallites have longitudinal course and withstand loading by tension) and transverse lamellae (whose fiber bundles and crystallites have a transverse course and withstand loading by compression) was determined for both osteonic and interstitial bone, using circularly polarized light as the illuminating source and a Quantimet 720 image analyzing computer. The results show that along the femoral shaft the transverse and longitudinal lamellae from osteonic and interstitial bone have a characteristic rotational distribution consistent with the distribution of the bending forces normally operative in bone.

Keywords: Femoral Shaft; Osteon; Bone Lamella; Bone Remodeling; Quantimet 720; Biomechanics

Abstract (French)

Une recherche précédente ayant démontré que la distribution desostéones et de la brèche interostéonique au niveau de la partie moyenne de la diaphyse fémorale est fonction de la structure de ces mêmes entités, une nouvelle méthode a été envisagée dans le but d'obtenir rapidement des informations du même genre extensibles à toute la diaphyse. Vingt-trots sections transverseles d'épaisseur constante (100 μm), et situées à une distance de 1 cm. l'une de l'autre, ont été préparées au moyen d'un microtome à lame annulaire. La distribution tip lamelles longitudinales (dont les fibres collagènes et les crystallites, étant orientés longitudinalement, sont douées de résistance à la tension) et de celles transversalles (dont les fibres collagènes et les crystallites, étant orientés transvarsalement, sont douées de résistance à la pression) a été étabile soit au niveau des ostéones que de la brèche au moyen d'un analyseur d'image (Quantimet 720) et d'une source lumineuse polarisée circulairement. Les résultats montrent que les deux types de lamelles ont une distribution réciproque en forme de spirale qui s'accorde avec la distribution des sollicitations en flection auxquelles le fémur est normalement soumis.

Links

DOI: 10.1016/0221-8747(84)90018-3

WoS: A1984TH97200007

History

Received: 1983-12-20

Accepted: 1984-02-27

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