Trabecular involution in femoral heads of a prehistoric (X‐Group) population from Sudanese Nubia

Abstract

Abstract An analysis of trabecular bone in the head of the femur of 33 males and 40 females from a prehistoric X‐Group population from Sudanese Nubia indicates that as age increases from 17 to 50+ years loss of trabecular bone in males (16.01%) is greater than loss in females (13.47%). These results differ from previous studies of cortical bone and ash density of femoral head trabeculae which demonstrate a greater loss in females. An analysis of the differential reaction in the two trabecular systems reveals that principal tensile group trabeculae decrease in thickness with age while principal compressive group trabeculae show an increase with age.