Histology of a Harris line in a human distal tibia

Abstract

Identification and diagnosis of Harris lines (HLs) is usually achieved using radiography. To date, histological methods have been mainly implemented in research exploring the underlying processes of HL deposition using longitudinal sections taken from animal bone. Here, a new insight into HL formation is provided following transverse histological sectioning in a human specimen. A distinct HL was identified macroscopically, and from a radiograph, in a left distal tibia taken from an adult human male. Transverse sections were taken through the HL, and also from trabeculae immediately superior and inferior to the HL. Thin sections were produced following standard histological procedures. Micrographs were captured using a digital microscope camera. Trabeculae immediately superior and inferior to the HL displayed no indication of abnormal growth, exhibiting abundant osteocyte lacunae and a lamellar structure. However, the micro-anatomy of the HL was characterised by the following three main features: (1) non-lamellar appearance, (2) a complete lack of osteocyte lacunae, and (3) presence of irregularly distributed tubular structures. These three histological features indicate a specific process of bone deposition, implying that trapping of osteoblasts may not take place during HL formation. Pictorial and descriptive records of HL histology are provided, aiding current understanding about the nature of HL, its identification from histology, and serving as a reference point for future comparative research.

Ancient Human Bone Microstructure in MedievalEngland: Comparisons between Two Socio‐Economic Groups

“…Thin sections were prepared following standard methods (e.g., Bancroft and Gamble, ; also see Miszkiewicz, , ). Samples were embedded in epoxy resin (Buehler EpoxiCure ®) and sectioned in half from the medial toward the lateral end on a Buehler Isomet 1000 precision saw.…”

Microscopic markers of an infradian biorhythm in human juvenile ribs

“…Histological thin-sections of teeth were produced using standard methods [6]. The Standard histological methods were used to produce bone thin-sections [31,63,64].…”

How to calculate the age at formation of Harris lines? A step-by-step review of current methods and a proposal for modifications to Byers’ formulas

“…Harris lines (HL; also known as Bgrowth arrest lines^or Btransverse radiopaque lines^) are horizontal sclerotic lines formed in the metaphyseal or diaphyseal part of long bones, usually visualized using X-ray images (Nowak and Piontek 2002a), although also visible in computed tomography (Chauveau et al 2016;Primeau et al 2016), magnetic resonance imaging (Laor and Jaramillo 2009), or in histological slides (Miszkiewicz 2015). Most often they form on the tibia and therefore, it is the most frequently used bone for the study of HLs (Papageorgopoulou et al 2011); nevertheless, they can form on any endochondral bone (Scott and Hoppa 2015).…”