The purpose of this study is to characterize and contextualize the new collection of This collection constitutes a fundamental tool for forensic anthropology research, including development and validation studies of skeletal aging and sexing methods that target elderly adults. Moreover, this collection can also be used in conjunction with the other reference collections housed in the University of Coimbra to investigate secular trends in skeletal development and aging, among others.

The estimation of gestational age (GA) in fetal human remains is important in forensic settings, particularly to assess fetal viability, in addition to often being the only biological profile parameter that can be assessed with some accuracy for non-adults. The length of long bone diaphysis is one of the most frequently used methods for fetal age estimation. The main objective of this study was to present a simple and objective method for estimating GA based on the measurements of the diaphysis of the femur, tibia, fibula, humerus, ulna, and radius. Conventional least squares regression equations (classical and inverse calibration approaches) and quick reference tables were generated. A supplementary objective was to compare the performance of the new formulae against previously published models. The sample comprised 257 fetuses (136 females and 121 males) with known GA (between 12 and 40 weeks) and was selected based on clinical and pathological information. All measurements were performed on radiographic images acquired in anonymous clinical autopsy records from spontaneous and therapeutic abortions in two Portuguese hospitals. The proposed technique is straightforward and reproducible. The models for the GA estimation are exceedingly accurate and unbiased. Comparisons between inverse and classical calibration show that both perform exceptionally well, with high accuracy and low bias. Also, the newly developed equations generally outperform earlier methods of GA estimation in forensic contexts. Quick reference tables for each long bone are now available. The obtained models for the estimation of gestational age are of great applicability in forensic contexts.

Age at death estimation in adult skeletons is hampered, among others, by the unremarkable correlation of bone estimators with chronological age, implementation of inappropriate statistical techniques, observer error, and skeletal incompleteness or destruction. Therefore, it is beneficial to consider alternative methods to assess age at death in adult skeletons. The decrease in bone mineral density with age was explored to generate a method to assess age at death in human remains. A connectionist computational approach, artificial neural networks, was employed to model femur densitometry data gathered in 100 female individuals from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection. Bone mineral density declines consistently with age and the method performs appropriately, with mean absolute differences between known and predicted age ranging from 9.19 to 13.49 years. The proposed method-DXAGE-was implemented online to streamline age estimation. This preliminary study highlights the value of densitometry to assess age at death in human remains.

Fractures are ubiquitous in the archaeological record but the majority of these are the consequence of a traumatic incident and do not reflect any loss of strength inherent to the bone. So-called fragility fractures, particularly hip fractures, are considered uncommon occurrences in skeletal populations from the past. Nevertheless, evidence of this type of fracture in the archaeological record is increasing. A methodical search for possible hip fractures in the excavation reports, theses and monographs housed in the Department of Anthropology of the University of Coimbra presented an occasion to describe six hip fractures, previously unpublished, from different Portuguese archaeological sites and to challenge the widespread assumption that hip fractures were nearly non-existent in the past.

The assessment of sex is crucial to the establishment of a biological profile of an unidentified skeletal individual. The best methods currently available for the sexual diagnosis of human skeletal remains generally rely on the presence of well-preserved pelvic bones, which is not always the case. Postcranial elements, including the femur, have been used to accurately estimate sex in skeletal remains from forensic and bioarcheological settings. In this study, we present an approach to estimate sex using two measurements (femoral neck width [FNW] and femoral neck axis length [FNAL]) of the proximal femur. FNW and FNAL were obtained in a training sample (114 females and 138 males) from the Luís Lopes Collection (National History Museum of Lisbon). Logistic regression was used to develop a model to predict sex in unknown individuals. The logistic regression model correctly predicted sex in 85.3% to 85.7% of the cases. The model was also evaluated in a test sample (96 females and 96 males) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection (University of Coimbra), resulting in a sex allocation accuracy of 80.1% to 86.2%. This study supports the relative value of the proximal femur to estimate sex in skeletal remains, especially when other exceedingly dimorphic skeletal elements are not accessible for analysis.

No abstract

Osteoporosis is an evocative term for a metabolic disorder characterized by loss of bone mass and organization, which predisposes to fracture. The clinical consequences of osteoporosis lie in the problems associated with it, specifically hip, Colles and vertebral fractures. We present here an extracapsular fracture of the proximal femur in an aged female skeleton from the Santa Clara-a-Velha Monastery (14th-17th centuries) in Coimbra, Portugal. This fracture is probably secondary to an osteoporotic disorder. Bone remodeling at the fracture site confirms that this woman survived for a long period after sustaining a fracture of the proximal femur, suggestive of a solid community assistance and support.

There has been considerable progress in recent years in our understanding of the patterns of cortical bone loss in the second metacarpal in archeological skeletal samples. Nevertheless, cortical data from reference skeletal collections are insufficient, and the possible connection of metacarpal cortical parameters with osteoporotic fractures has not been thoroughly addressed. As such, this article aims to identify and explain sex‐specific and age‐associated metacarpal cortical bone loss in a large sample (N = 302; females: 154/males: 148) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection. Another objective is to evaluate the association of cortical and demographic features with osteoporotic fractures. Age‐related endocortical bone loss is significant in women but not evident in men. Periosteal accretion of the bone is absent in both sexes. Overall, there is a net loss of the cortical bone in women, whereas cortical bone strength seems to be preserved in men. The prevalence of osteoporotic fractures is similar in both sexes, with age at death significantly influencing the probability of exhibiting a fracture. Metacarpal cortical index does not seem to be an independent risk factor for osteoporotic fractures in this sample.