Radiographically detectable intracortical porosity. The dimensions and frequencies of its components in hand bones of normal men and women

Since the measurement of intracortical resorptive spaces by histologic methods is difficult and very few data are available in normal humans, we have measured their lengths and widths and calculated the intracortical porosity in metacarpals and phalanges of 79 normal women and 69 normal men, using fine-detail radiographs of the hands and a computerized semi-automatic image analysis system (Zeiss MOP-3), this being the first study of this kind. Several methodological problems were solved satisfactorily, and the results of this study could serve as a data bank for further investigations concerned with intracortical resorption. Significant differences were found between age and sex versus several intracortical resorptive parameters; also significant correlations were found with age in some cases. Normal intracortical porosity was found to be about three times greater in the proximal phalanges than in the metacarpals. It is concluded that this methodology could be used for further studies of intracortical resorption in osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases.