Loaded Bones: relationships between body mass and bone morphology
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Loaded Bones: Is there a relationship between body mass and bone morphology?
IRAS ID
221618
Contact name
Isabelle De Groote
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool John Moores University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
This study aims to examine relationships between body mass and bones in order to create a tool for estimating body mass from skeletal remains. The participants will be staff and students at Liverpool John Moores University.\nA focus of forensic anthropology is identification of human remains. Using bone characteristics, age, sex, stature and ancestry may be estimated. Estimation of body mass would constitute a valuable contribution to help identification as obesity rates are increasing worldwide.\nThere is little research regarding body mass estimation from skeletal remains and current techniques are inaccurate for individuals with a body mass index outside the normal range of 20-25 kg/m2. Any effects of extremely low or high body mass on bone structure need investigating.\nThis project will use a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanner to take images of the femur. The scans will provide cross-sectional images allowing for measurements to be taken including the thickness of the outer bone and maximum length, as well as bone mineral density. Analysis of these measurements will identify the factors most associated with body mass and help answer the primary research question; can we estimate the weight class of the deceased from bone measurements?\nPrevious studies show contrasting results when examining how body weight impacts on bones, with fat and muscle in the body having different effects on overall bone formation. This study will generate total body composition scans that will provide the percentage of muscle, fat and bone mass in each participant. A second question being addressed asks if there is any effect of body mass on femur structure and morphology when lean (muscle) and fat mass are taken into account. That in turn, with results of the physical activity questionnaire, will help answer the question; can we discriminate the effect of activity and obesity on bone?\n
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0220
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion