Age-Related cortical bone loss at the metacarpal

Abstract

In order to evaluate in vivo the entity of endosteal and periosteal changes with age in the two sexes, and their relative contribution to age-related cortical bone loss, we undertook a cross-sectional study on a population of normal Caucasian subjects. The group included 189 women and 107 men who were studied by photodensitometry and radiogrammetry of the second metacarpal bone, derived from the same standard hand X-ray. Of the subjects, 134 were 65 years of age or older (75 women and 59 men). Metacarpal bone mineral density (BMD) correlated with age in both sexes, with an annual bone loss rate of 0.5% in women and 0.15% in men. In the over 65 group, correlation was significant only in women, who underwent an acceleration in the rate of bone loss (1% per year). Marrow cavity width (M), cortical index at the second metacarpal shaft (MI) and external width (W) all correlated with age in both sexes, although generally better in the female than in the male sex. M almost doubled from the fourth to the ninth decade in women and increased 50% in men. In the same age interval, MI showed an annual decrease of 0.49% in females and 0.33% in males. In the over 65 group, cortical thinning rate was significant in women (0.39% per annum) but not in men (0.14% per annum), whereas correlation of W was not significant in either sex. Finally, MI correlated with BMD in the whole study population and in the over 65, with a female prevalence in correlation strength maintained throughout life. The following conclusions can be derived for metacarpal aging: (1) an acceleration in cortical bone loss occurs in females after age 65; (2) age-related growth in periosteal diameter, although significant in the whole population, is negligible in the elderly of both sexes; (3) age-related cortical bone loss is generally more dependent on cortical thinning in women than in men.

Are bone losers distinguishable from bone formers in a skeletal series? Implications for adult age at death assessment methods

“…This pattern is observed not only in contemporary populations but also in the skeletal sample from the Identified Spitalfields Collection from 18th and 19th century (Mays, 2000(Mays, , 2001. Extensive data on metacarpal changes in various populations show bone loss with ageing in both sexes (Falch and Sandvik, 1990;Geusens et al, 1986;Maggio et al, 1997). In our study, the association between CI and age is statistically significant in both sexes, but much greater in women than in men.…”

“…Radiogrammetry remains an important research tool in epidemiological studies on living populations (e.g. Crespo et al, 1998;Kalichman et al, 2002Kalichman et al, , 2005Maggio et al, 1997;Montalban Sanchez et al, 2001;Haara et al, 2006), but recently, it has also been used in studies of cortical bone loss in archaeological human remains to assess the probable prevalence of osteoporosis in the past (Mays, 2000(Mays, , 2001(Mays, , 2006. X-ray equipment is available to most osteologists (Mays, 1996); thus, this method is also more convenient to use in osteological research.…”

Population variation in second metacarpal sexual size dimorphism

“…In the case of the Inuit sample, determinations recorded in the Museum catalogue were confirmed by the author, again with reference to diagnostic criteria of pelvis and cranium. Although aging has a demonstrable and often significant effect on bone mass via endocortical loss (Maggio et al, 1997), the variables studied here (see below) tend to be stable with age (Lazenby, 2002). While some circumferential periosteal apposition occurs, this tends to be statistically (albeit not necessarily biologically) insignificant (Lazenby, 1990).…”

Bone loss in unclassified polyarthritis and early rheumatoid arthritis is better detected by digital x ray radiogrammetry than dual x ray absorptiometry: relationship with disease activity and radiographic outcome

“…Aging and osteoporosis reduce CT with an annual decrease of about 0.4-0.5% a year in women. 31 Because the annual decrease in the CT in patients with active disease averaged 3-4% and 1-2% in patients with minor disease activity, the additional bone loss may be ascribed to the inflammatory process itself and the impaired hand function. The tendency towards greater DXR changes in the second and third metacarpal joints than in the fourth metacarpal joint may reflect the frequent involvement of these joints in the rheumatoid inflammatory process and may be in accordance with earlier observations of a more pronounced bone loss in the subregions of phalanges and metacarpal joints in RA than in the entire hand.…”