Estimation of age at death in human males from quantitative histology of bone fragments

Abstract Studies were conducted to quantitate histological age changes in human bone cortex. Ground (undecalcified) and decalcified cross sections of mandible, femur and tibia were measured for: (1) number of osteons in two fields, (2) average number of lamellae per osteon, and (3) average Haversian canal diameter. These data were obtained from 59 subjects (52 males) ranging in age from 39 to 87 years. Multiple regression techniques were then utilized to estimate age at death from several combinations of these measurements. With age, the number of osteons per unit area of bone and the number of lamellae per osteon increased but Haversian canal diameter decreased. The number of lamellae per osteon had the least significant correlation with age. Multiple regression analyses indicated that in this age group age at death could be estimated to within six years of the true value in 95% of human males. Histological measurements of the mandible provided estimates that were consistently more accurate than those based on the two long bones. A monograph, prepared from mandibular measurements, can be used to estimate age at death between 40 and 80 years of age in the male human population. Significant sex differences were not noted and racial differences were not analyzed. It was concluded that, compared to existing morphologic methods, microstructure of bone cortex can be quantitated to estimate age at death more accurately. More extensive studies on race, sex and metabolic influences on age estimation from different bones would have important medico‐legal and anthropologic implications. The experimental approach utilized here should also be useful in diagnostic pathology and in ageing research.