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Bone Diagenesis and its Implication for Disease Diagnosis: The Relevance of Bone Microstructure Analysis for the Study of Past Human Remains

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Sandra Assis ,
Anne Keenleyside ,
Ana Luísa Santos  and
Francisca Alves Cardoso
Sandra Assis*
Affiliation:
CIAS—Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martins de Freitas 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Anne Keenleyside
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, DNA-C, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada
Ana Luísa Santos
Affiliation:
CIAS—Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martins de Freitas 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Francisca Alves Cardoso
Affiliation:
CRIA—Centro em Rede de Investigação em Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências Socias e Humanas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. Berna 26-C, 1069-061 Lisboa, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.sandraassis78@gmail.com
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Abstract

When bone is exposed to the burial environment it may experience structural changes induced by multiple agents. The study of postmortem alterations is important to differentiate decomposition phenomena from normal physiological processes or pathological lesions, as well as to assess bone tissue quality. Microscopy is of great utility to evaluate the integrity of bone microstructure and it provides significant data on long-term bone decomposition. A total of 18 human bone sections (eight archeological and ten retrieved from an identified skeletal collection) were selected for analysis under plane light and polarized light. The aim of this exploratory study was to analyze the impact of diagenesis and taphonomy on the bone microstructure, as well as on the differential diagnosis of pathological conditions. The results showed that the microscopy approach to bone tissues contributed materially as an aid in the detailed description of the main diagenetic changes observed. It showed that gross inspection does not provide a realistic assessment of bone tissue preservation, which can impact in the characterization of lesions present and subsequent disease diagnosis. Therefore, researchers should continue to consider the application of histological techniques if the aim is to comprehend tissue integrity and its association with decomposition or disease.

Keywords

burial environmenttaphonomymicroscopybone tissue preservationpaleopathology
Type
Biological Applications and Techniques
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 805 - 825
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2015 

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