Dissertation Research: The Structure and Function of Trabecular Bone in the Proximal Femur of Strepsirhine Primates

骨小梁主要发现于骨骼元素的关节区域，由骨棒和骨板组成的相互连接的网络组成。一百多年来，人们一直假设松质骨在动物肌肉骨骼系统中发挥着重要的结构作用，并通过生长动态地响应外加载荷。尽管有这种假设的重要性，但研究松质骨的结构和力学的工作很少。本研究的目的有三个方面：1)量化亚洲和非洲灵长类动物--灵长类动物股骨头中骨小梁的三维结构；2)确定结构差异的意义；3)评估骨小梁结构在重建已灭绝灵长类动物运动行为方面的作用。这些目标将通过量化骨小梁的三维结构和建立有限元模型来确定髋关节的应力分布来实现。骨小梁结构和运动行为之间关系的确定将反过来为包括人类在内的灵长类动物的解剖、行为和运动提供洞察力。这项研究将使人们更好地了解骨小梁在灵长类动物髋关节中的重要性，从而增加我们对行为与骨骼形态之间关系的认识。此外，对骨骼结构的了解将有助于我们了解人类和其他灵长类动物的骨发育和骨丢失，从而提高人们对身体活动和行为对骨发育和骨丢失的作用的认识。

Trabecular bone is found primarily in the joint regions of skeletal elements and consists of an interconnected network of bony rods and plates. It has been hypothesized for over a hundred years that trabecular bone plays an important structural role in the musculoskeletal system of animals and that it dynamically responds to applied loads through growth. Despite this hypothesized importance, there has been very little work examining the structure and mechanics of trabecular bone. The objectives of this study are threefold: 1) to quantify the three-dimensional structure of trabecular bone in the femoral head of lorises and galagos - small primates from Asia and Africa, 2) to determine the significance of any structural differences, and 3) to assess the utility of trabecular bone structure for the reconstruction of locomotor behavior in extinct primates. These objectives will be addressed by quantifying the structure of trabecular bone in three-dimensions and by constructing finite element models to determine the stress distribution in the hip joint. The determination of a relationship between trabecular bone structure and locomotor behavior will, in turn, provide insights into the anatomy, behavior, and locomotion of primates including humans. This study will lead to a greater understanding of the importance of trabecular bone in the hip joint of primates, thereby increasing our knowledge of the relationship between behavior and bone morphology. In addition, an understanding of bone structure will contribute to our understanding of bone development and bone loss in humans and other primates, leading to an increased awareness of the role of physical activity and behavior on the development and loss of bone in general.