Insight into age-related changes of the human facial skeleton based on medieval European osteological collection

Abstract

Aging changes in the facial skeleton are concentrated mostly in orbits, maxilla and mandible. The aim of this study was to analyze metric traits of the adult viscerocranium in a medieval sample from Cedynia (Poland, Central Europe) and confront the results with literature data for modern populations. It was assumed that diet-related greater biomechanical forces generated during mastication in medieval versus modern times led to slower rate of bone resorption with age. 3D models of the facial skeleton were created for 230 individuals, categorized into young, middle and old adults. Besides, a subgroup of edentulous middle adults was distinguished. Orbits, pyriform aperture, maxilla and mandible were measured using Geomagic Studio 12 and analyzed among age categories as well as dentate and edentulous subgroups. The values of the orbital and pyriform aperture measurements tended to increase with age and reached statistical significance in males (right orbit height, left orbit width, pyriform aperture surface area). In females, maxillary height significantly decreased at right first premolar and first molar, together with height of the right mandibular ramus. In edentulous individuals of both sexes the orbits were wider, and maxillary and mandibular heights were lower than in dentate individuals. This study revealed similar character and direction of the aging process of the facial skeleton in medieval and modern adults, however slower rate of resorptive changes was found in the former sample, which suggests, that diet-related biomechanical forces can influence intensification of the aging processes in the facial skeleton.