Archives of Current Research International

Aims: Quantitative assessment of bone microstructural elements is relevant in the present forensic field following incessant cases of culprits’ penchant to hide evidence at all cost. The aim of this study therefore is to analyze the histomorphometric properties of skeletal remains and examine for variability between long and short bones.

Study Design: We used a descriptive cross-sectional design. This enabled the systematic collection and quantitative analysis of histomorphometric parameters from human long bones (tibiae) and short bones (tarsals).

Place of Study: Skeletal remains were obtained from the Department of Human Anatomy of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Rivers State University.

Methodology: The modified Frost manual method of bone preparation was adopted and 10 cadaveric specimens were obtained each for each bone type from adult Nigerians. Images were analyzed using calibrated ImageJ software. The parameters measured are: Haversian canal diameter (µm), Osteon diameter (µm), Primary osteon count, Secondary osteon count, and Osteon fragment count.

Results: The tibia exhibited significantly greater counts of secondary and primary osteons compared with the talus (P≤0.05). Other histomorphometric properties were not statistically significant except for subtle variations.

Conclusion: These differences carry meaningful implications for biomechanical interpretation and forensic application, instilling confidence in the utility of histomorphometry, but require confirmation, particularly given the study's limitations regarding age and sex.