Bone maceration: A systematic review of techniques, efficiency and structural outcomes

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Osteology
• Bioarchaeology
• Museum Studies

Background:

• Bone maceration is essential for preparing skeletal elements across various scientific and educational disciplines.
• Technique selection critically impacts outcomes like DNA preservation and bone surface integrity.
• A tailored approach is necessary due to the diverse applications and potential consequences of maceration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and guide bone maceration techniques.
• To outline common approaches, their benefits, drawbacks, and suitability.
• To inform optimal method selection for specific applications.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, SCOPUS, and EMBASE.
• Keywords included "maceration", "defleshing", "skeletonization", and "osteotechnics" combined with "bone".
• Thirty-eight articles were included following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and defined criteria.

Main Results:

• Chemical/enzymatic additives and water maceration were most frequently described.
• Combined methods were also commonly utilized.
• Forensic applications were most prevalent, focusing on microscopic bone structure and DNA preservation.

Conclusions:

• No single maceration method is universally optimal.
• Enzymatic and insect methods offer superior preservation but are resource-intensive and slower.
• Hot-water and chemical methods are faster but risk bone surface damage and biomolecular loss.
• Method selection must align with specimen type, resources, and analytical goals.
• Careful preprocedural planning is vital due to the irreversible effects of maceration.