Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026
05:25
Using Inducible Osteoblastic Lineage-Specific Stat3 Knockout Mice to Study Alveolar Bone Remodeling During Orthodontic Tooth Movement
Published on: July 21, 2023
Spatial patterning of bone stiffness variation in the colobine alveolar process
David J Daegling1, Michael C Granatosky, W Scott McGraw
1Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7305, USA. daegling@ufl.edu
Archives of Oral Biology
|November 9, 2010
Summary
Alveolar bone stiffness varies spatially, not randomly, with the stiffest bone located superiorly. This study explored bone stiffness in colobus monkey mandibles, finding no species or sex differences.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Anthropology
- Comparative Anatomy
Background:
- Alveolar bone supports teeth and withstands chewing forces.
- Alveolar bone is more compliant than basal bone.
- Stiffness variation within alveolar bone is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial variation in alveolar bone stiffness.
- To test hypotheses regarding species, sex, and location effects on bone stiffness.
- To explore relationships between bone stiffness, thickness, and masticatory loading.
Main Methods:
- Microindentation was used to measure bone stiffness in cortical alveolar bone.
- Eight adult mandibles from two species of West African colobus monkeys were analyzed.
- Spatial variation was analyzed with respect to species, sex, and location.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in bone stiffness were found between species or sexes.
- Alveolar bone stiffness exhibited nonrandom spatial variation.
- The stiffest bone was located in the superior alveolar process.
- Differences between buccal and lingual cortical plates were observed in most specimens.
- A superoinferior stiffness gradient was present in some specimens, but confined to one cortical plate.
- Bone stiffness and thickness showed weak covariation.
Conclusions:
- Alveolar bone exhibits nonrandom spatial variation in stiffness.
- Relative compliance may enhance bone toughness.
- The relationship between stiffness patterning and masticatory loading requires further investigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Spongy Bone
All bones comprise an outer layer of compact bone, and an interior made up of spongy bone tissue, also called cancellous or trabecular bone. In long bones, spongy bone tissue is mainly found in the interior of the epiphyses (broad ends of the bone).
Spongy bone is more porous, and less dense compared to compact bone. It is composed of concentric lamellae that are arranged irregularly to form the trabecular network. In some bones, the spaces between trabeculae contain red marrow, where...
Spongy bone is more porous, and less dense compared to compact bone. It is composed of concentric lamellae that are arranged irregularly to form the trabecular network. In some bones, the spaces between trabeculae contain red marrow, where...
01:27Compact Bone
Most bones contain compact and spongy osseous tissue, but their distribution and concentration vary based on the bone's overall function.
Compact bone, also called cortical bone, is the denser, stronger of the two types of bone tissue. It is found under the periosteum and in the diaphyses of long bones, where it provides support and protection. The microscopic structural unit of compact bone is called an osteon, or haversian system. Each osteon is composed of concentric rings of calcified...
Compact bone, also called cortical bone, is the denser, stronger of the two types of bone tissue. It is found under the periosteum and in the diaphyses of long bones, where it provides support and protection. The microscopic structural unit of compact bone is called an osteon, or haversian system. Each osteon is composed of concentric rings of calcified...
01:55Bone Structure
Within the skeletal system, the structure of a bone, or osseous tissue, can be exemplified in a long bone, like the femur, where there are two types of osseous tissue: cortical and cancellous.
01:17Gross Anatomy of Bone
The two main features of a long bone are the diaphysis and the epiphysis.
The diaphysis is the tubular shaft that runs between the proximal and distal ends of the bone. The walls of the diaphysis are composed of dense and hard compact bone made of numerous osteons — the functional unit of the compact bone. The hollow region in the diaphysis is called the medullary cavity, which harbors the bone marrow. In infants and children, this marrow cavity is filled with red marrow, whereas in adults, it...
The diaphysis is the tubular shaft that runs between the proximal and distal ends of the bone. The walls of the diaphysis are composed of dense and hard compact bone made of numerous osteons — the functional unit of the compact bone. The hollow region in the diaphysis is called the medullary cavity, which harbors the bone marrow. In infants and children, this marrow cavity is filled with red marrow, whereas in adults, it...
01:29Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification
Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into...
01:18Classification of Bones
The bones of the human skeletal system are of varied shapes, sizes, and functions. They can be classified based on their shape and function into four major classes: long bones, short bones, flat bones, and irregular bones. Some classifications include a fifth type, the sesamoid bones, as a separate class, whereas others categorize them under short bones.
Long and Short Bones
The appendicular skeleton, particularly the upper and lower limbs, is primarily made of long and short bones. The long...
Long and Short Bones
The appendicular skeleton, particularly the upper and lower limbs, is primarily made of long and short bones. The long...