Skeletal Collections for Histological and Imaging Research
Janna M. Andronowski, Joshua T. Taylor, Brian F. Spatola, Rita Hardiman, Natalie A. Sims · 2024
Human bone reference collections are vital for advancing medical knowledge, especially given the contemporary burden of age-related bone diseases, and for studying human variability and associated attributes that aid in establishing the biological profile (e.g., age-at-death, biological sex). High-quality macro- and microstructural data can be ethically obtained from large bone collections of known provenance with comprehensive demographic data, and consent from the donors’ themselves or next of kin. This chapter reviews four such well-documented skeletal collections developed specifically for bone histological and imaging research: the (1) Andronowski Skeletal Collection for Histological Research (ASCHR), (2) Melbourne Femur Collection (MFC), (3) National Museum of Health and Medicine Bone Histology Collections, and (4) Ericksen Collection. The most comprehensive collection with ongoing bone procurement, ASCHR (Canada), contains bone blocks from femora, sixth ribs, and crania from 748 contemporary donors ranging in age from 15 to 105. ASCHR maintains a digital database of imaging files obtained via synchrotron radiation (SR) micro-CT, micro-CT, confocal laser scanning microscopy, brightfield and polarized microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The MFC (Australia; founded by Dr. John Clement) includes bone specimens, imaging (e.g., microradiographs, SR micro-CT, micro-CT, among others), and/or biometric data from 904 individuals. The digital data offered by the ASCHR and MFC have opened novel three-dimensional avenues of inquiry which have great potential in biological and forensic anthropology. The National Museum of Health and Medicine Bone Histology Collections (USA) contain a broad selection of pathological human specimens, whole-mount human bone specimens, historic collections, and nonhuman primate samples, including the Johnson-Sweet, Phemister, Codman Registry of Bone Sarcoma, and Kerley and Follis-Park Collections. Lastly, the Ericksen Skeletal Collection (USA) contains femoral samples from 328 individuals collected from medical school dissection rooms. The collection has been used widely in anthropological research for decades and has provided foundational data for new histological age-at-death estimation methods. Each collection offers unique contributions to modern bone histological and imaging research and serves as reference databases for researchers from various disciplines, including medicine, anthropology, and the biological sciences. Our primary goal is to encourage collaboration and data sharing among national and international researchers interested in human skeletal biology.