Corticomedular index of the right tibia in the diagnosis of osteopenia in prehistoric skeletal remains.

This study examined the diagnostic accuracy of the corticomedular index obtained at the midpoint of the shaft of right tibia as an indicator of osteopenia in a prehistoric sample composed of 133 individuals. Osteopenia was assessed by a histomorphometrical measure of trabecular bone volume (TBV) in an undecalcified bone section of a small part of the proximal epiphysis to: Mild, moderate, and severe osteopenia were defined as TBV values less than 17.5%, 15%, and 12.5%, respectively. The corticomedular index (CI) was determined on X-ray films of the tibiae. Mean TBV of the sample was 17.93 ± 4.97%, it was moderately correlated with CI (r = 0.43, p < 0.0001). CI values under 0.20 showed high specificity in the diagnosis of all degrees of osteopenia, whereas CI values under 0.275 showed relatively high sensitivity (90.4%) in the diagnosis of severe osteopenia. These methods were then prospectively applied in a further sample of 41 right tibiae also from a prehistoric sample of Gran Canaria. The results were similar to those in the larger sample. Thus, CI may be a useful tool in detecting osteopenia in earlier populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 10:37-44, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Radiopaque transverse lines (Harris lines) in the prehispanic population of El Hierro (Canary Islands).

Harris lines were assessed in 48 right tibiae of prehispanic inhabitants of El Hierro (one of the Canary Islands), belonging to 23 adult females and 25 adult males. No Harris lines were detected in sixteen (33%) of the adult individuals (7 females = 30% and 9 males = 36%), these differences are not statistically significant. Female tibiae showed a slightly higher mean number of Harris lines at the distal end than male ones (2.091 +/- 1.9 in females vs 1.417 +/- in males). Ages at which Harris lines were formed show two peaks, a major one at the age of 2 years, and another one between 11 and 13, particularly in the females. Harris lines were more frequently observed at the proximal than at the distal end of the bone. No relation was found between the number of Harris lines and stature. The relative high number of lines detected in our population speak for several stressful episodes suffered during growth.

Alcohol-induced hypogonadism: reversal after ethanol withdrawal.

Serum testosterone, FSH, LH and prolactin levels have been determined in a group of 32 non-cirrhotic heavy drinkers at 9 and 21 h of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 11th and 15th days after the onset of a florid ethanol withdrawal syndrome. In addition, serum steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels were determined at the 1st and 15th days. Serum levels of all these hormones were also determined in a control group of 15 healthy male volunteers. Serum testosterone levels, significantly lower in alcoholics at the beginning of the study, progressively increased along the observation period, recovering the circadian rhythm at the end of it. A significant increase was also observed in serum prolactin levels, in the low and upper limits of the normal range at the beginning and at the end of the study respectively. Serum FSH and LH levels were significantly higher in the alcoholics at the beginning of the study, with no significant variations during the observation period. There was a strong relationship between FSH and LH levels, but not between these hormones and testosterone. Thus, our data suggest that ethanol-induced hypogonadism is primary in origin, functional in nature and transient in its evolution.