Heat-induced changes in the histomorphometry of human femur bone

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Skeletal remains are often subjected to unexpected and adverse conditions which can eventually distort evidence. Therefore, understanding the factors that alter skeletal remains is crucial. Methods: A total of human femur fragments obtained from the gross anatomy laboratory of the University of Port Harcourt were used. Bone samples were divided into four groups. Group 1 is the control sample comprising bone fragments not exposed to heat, Group 2 had bones exposed to heat at 20°C, Group 3 had bones exposed to heat at 100°C, and Group 4 had bones exposed to heat at 200°C. Ground bone sections were prepared using Modified Frost’s manual method of bone preparation. Morphometric analysis of the micrographs was performed using the ImageJ software. Results: Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The mean values of the Haversian canal area and diameter demonstrated a nonsignificant increase in the bone samples exposed to heat compared to the samples not exposed to heat. The osteon count was slightly higher, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: The results demonstrated that histomorphometric features of bones are not altered at the temperature of 200°C. This information is useful in forensic investigations.