Morphometrical Analysis of Dry Adult Human Hip Bones by Coxal Index

Background: The hip bone is one of the most useful skeletal elements in adult skeleton for sex determination. Hip bone may be used even when fragmentary for both medico legal and archaeological purposes. The aim of the present study is to measure few morphometric parameters of various hip bones and to assess these values both side wise and gender wise. Method: The present study was conducted in department of Anatomy, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore. 100 adult dry human hip bones were included in the study, of which 50 were male and 50 were female hip bones. 50 bones belonged to right side and 50 to left side. The morphometrical parameters measured were length, width and weight of the hip bones. Coxal index was also calculated. Result: Range, mean, median, standard deviation and standard error of mean were determined for each parameter. Conclusions were drawn after comparing the values with series of other workers. Conclusion: The values were slightly higher on the left side compared to the bones of the right side and also the values were more in male bones compared to female bones. The study would help the forensic experts and the anthropologists in specimen identification and sex determination from skeletal remains. It would also be valuable for the anatomists and the orthopedicians in their respective fields. Keywords: Hip bone, morphometry, coxal index, sexual dimorphism, hip bone weight.

Effects of housing systems on behavioural assessment, bone morphometry and faecal egg counts of broiler chickens

Animals that are well-managed thrive and produce better than those kept under conditions which do not take full consideration of their behavioural and welfare needs. This experiment was conducted with one hundred and eighty unsexed one day-old Marshall and Arbor Acre breeds of broiler chickens to investigate the effects of housing systems on behavioural assessment, bone morphometry and faecal egg counts. The birds were brooded for three weeks and acclimatized for one week in their respective housing systems. Each of the housing systems (deep litter and outdoor run) was allotted 90 birds with 45 chicks per breed in three replicates of 15 birds each after balancing for body weights. The birds were fed same quality and quantity of feed and water ad libitum throughout the period of the experiment which lasted for four weeks. Data were collected on behavioural observations, bone morphometry and faecal samples were analyzed to determine the helminthes egg per gram. The experiment was arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial layout in a completely randomized design. The results of behavioural assessment showed that the two breeds of broiler chickens expressed more (p<0.05) of their natural instincts in the outdoor run compared with their counterparts on deep litter housing system. Irrespective of breeds, birds reared on outdoor run had higher (p<0.05) bone strength (14.61N/mm2) compared with those on deep litter (10.68N/mm 2). Also, the result of faecal egg counts showed that broiler chickens reared on deep litter had a higher incidence of intestinal helminthes compared with those managed on outdoor run. It was concluded that outdoor run could be adopted to enhance more expression of natural behaviours, better bone strength and reduced incidence of intestinal helminthes in Marshall and Arbor Acre breeds of broiler chickens.

A study of osteoprotective effect of l-arginine, l-norvaline and rosuvastatin on a model of hypoestrogen-induced osteoporosis in rats

Effect on the microcirculatory bed of the bony tissue is one of promising approaches to treatment of osteoporosis. Aim. To study anti-osteoporotic properties of endothelioprotectors: L-arginine, L-norvaline and rosuvastatin. Materials and Methods. Osteoprotective properties of L-arginine, L-norvaline and rosuvastatin, and also of a reference drug– strontium ranelate – were studied on 152 female rats of Wistar line using a model of hypoestrogen-induced osteoporosis. Anti-osteoporotic and endothelioprotective effect of the drugs were evaluated by laser dopplerflowmetry (LDF) of the proximal metaphysis of the femoral bone, morphometry of trabeculae of bone, and also by calculation of the coefficient of endothelial dysfunction. Results. LDF showed that maximal increase in microcirculation of the proximal metaphysis of the femoral bone, in comparison with animals with untreated osteoporosis (61.52±3.74 perfusion units, PU) was achieved with L-norvaline (115.25±5.36 PU, p<0.001) and rosuvastatin (106.57±5.22 PU, p<0.001), less expressed effect was demonstrated by L-arginine (98.10±4.48 PU, p<0.001) and a reference drug – strontium ranelate (86.49±4.99 PU). A similar tendency was observed in morphometry of trabeculae of bone: in the group with untreated osteoporosis the diameter of trabeculae was 61.68±1.24 µm, in the group with use fL-norvaline – 91.86±1.8 µm (p<0.001), in the group with use of L-arginine – 86.64±1.39 µm (p<0.001) and in the group with use of strontium ranelate – 89.08±1.09 µm. Conclusion. L-arginine and L-norvaline and also rosuvastatin possess the property of improving a morphofunctional condition of bone tissue and may be recommended for further preclinical study.