Periosteal thickness and cellularity in mid‐diaphyseal cross‐sections from human femora and tibiae of aged donors

Abstract

Due to lack of access in healthy patients, the structural properties underlying the inherent regenerative power and advanced material properties of the human periosteum are not well understood. Periosteum comprises a cellular cambium layer directly apposing the outer surface of bone and an outer fibrous layer encompassed by the surrounding soft tissues. As a first step to elucidating the structural and cellular characteristics of periosteum in human bone, the current study aims to measure cambium and fibrous layer thickness as well as cambium cellularity in human femora and tibiae of aged donors. The major and minor centroidal axes (CA) serve as automated reference points in cross-sections of cadaveric mid-diaphyseal femora and tibiae. Based on the results of this study, within a given individual, the cambium layer of the major CA of the tibia is significantly thicker and more cellular than the respective layer of the femur. These significant intraindividual differences do not translate to significant interindividual differences. Further, mid-diaphyseal periosteal measures including cambium and fibrous layer thickness and cellularity do not correlate significantly with age or body mass. Finally, qualitative observations of periosteum in amputated and contralateral or proximal long bones of the lower extremity show stark changes in layer organization, thickness, and cellularity. In a translational context, these novel data, though inherently limited by availability and accessibility of human mid-diaphyseal periosteum tissue, provide important reference values for the use of periosteum in the context of facilitated healing and regeneration of tissue.

Human Periosteal Derived Stem Cell Potential: The Impact of age

“…It recently has renewed scientific interest due to its inherent regenerative power and stimuli-responsive material properties [33]. Several studies describe mechanical, permeability, and regenerative properties of periosteal tissue and periosteum-derived cells mainly in animal models [34,35], yet little is known on the structural and cellular characteristics of human periosteum [25,26] and on its changes related to donor age [36].…”

UTE imaging in the musculoskeletal system

“…It is composed of a superficial fibrous layer and an inner, thinner osteogenic layer . Total periosteal thickness in human mid‐diaphyseal regions is about 100 μm for both tibia and femora, with mean fibrous layer thicknesses of 72–77 μm and mean inner layer thickness of 29–23 μm . Cortical bone is the dense outer layer, composing ∼80% of the total mass of the adult skeleton, with ∼5–10% porosity .…”

Live Tissue Imaging to Elucidate Mechanical Modulation of Stem Cell Niche Quiescence

“…Additionally, human PDCs express both epithelial and mesenchymal junctional adhesion proteins, providing a template for tissue architecture and playing a role in molecular mechanisms of chondro‐, osteo‐, and adipogenesis . Although more PDCs reside in the inner cambium layer of the periosteum compared with the fibrous layer , , , , , greater than 99% of PDCs isolated through enzymatic digestion (encompassing cells from the fibrous and cambium layers both) and/or migration protocols (preferentially cells migrating from the cambium layer) exhibit MSC surface markers, including CD73, CD90, and CD105. In contrast, slightly less but more than 95%, 97%, and 95% of bone marrow stromal cells from human patients exhibit the MSC surface markers CD73, CD90, and CD105, respectively .…”