A preliminary comparative histo-morphometrical description of the emoral diaphysis in three medium-sized animals

Abstract

Compact bone tissue is the body's most widespread type of bone, representing approximately 80% of the skeletal mass. In animals, the histological structure of the compact bone presents a high interspecific variability, being influenced by several internal and external factors. The aim of the present study was to characterize the structure of the femoral diaphysis from a histological and morphometric point of view, taking into consideration some internal factors. Samples from the middle third of the femurs from three medium-sized animals were histologically processed. The microscopical images were assessed from a morphometric point of view and the obtained data were statistically analyzed using one way ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparisons tests, statistically significant results being considered if p<0.05. The histological assessment of the femoral diaphysis suggested a mixed architectonics, with differences between the individuals. For the ram, the predominant tissue was the incomplete lamellar type, for the goat the complete laminar, while for the Vietnamese sow, the femoral diaphysis was formed by a mix between incomplete laminar and Haversian. The morphometric results suggested that the biggest osteons are found in ram (area of 70599 ± 23344 μm2), while the goat has the smallest (27119 ± 11854 μm2). Also, the values obtained for the ram presented statistically significant differences when compared with the other two animals (p<0.0001). The current preliminary study suggests that the compact bone structure may be subjected to several internal factors that can influence its aspect. Accordingly, a thorough histological evaluation may serve as a stepping-stone for species identification.