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Published on: January 29, 2018
Age-related changes and secular trends in hand bone size
L Kalichman1, I Malkin, M J Seibel
1Department of Physical Therapy, The Stanley Steyer School of Health Professions, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. kalihman@zahav.net.il
Summary
This study found secular trends in hand bone size among Chuvashian adults. Both males and females show a trend towards a more gracile appendicular skeleton over time.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Human Osteology
- Population Studies
Background:
- Understanding age- and sex-related skeletal changes is crucial for human biology.
- Secular trends in human populations can reflect environmental and lifestyle shifts.
- Previous research has indicated changes in human skeletal morphology over time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age- and sex-specific alterations in long hand bone dimensions.
- To identify secular trends in hand bone size and shape within the Chuvashian population.
- To analyze changes in bone length, area, and mid-shaft width.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs with data from 1994 and 2002.
- Included a cohort of 557 individuals in 1994 and 513 in 2002.
- Employed maximum likelihood-based model-fitting and t-test statistical analyses.
Main Results:
- Observed a secular trend in hand bone size for both males and females in the Chuvashian population.
- In males, younger individuals had greater bone length and area; mid-shaft width was consistent across birth cohorts.
- Females born after 1937 showed no change in bone length or total area, but bone mid-shaft width decreased after 1940.
Conclusions:
- The Chuvashian population exhibits a secular trend towards a more gracile appendicular skeleton in both sexes.
- These findings suggest significant morphological adaptations in response to changing environmental or lifestyle factors.
- The observed trends highlight the dynamic nature of human skeletal morphology across generations.
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