Osteoporosis is a major global public health problem, particularly as the proportion of aged individuals within the population increases. With ageing, bones weaken partly due to the loss of bone mass and due to changes in bone composition, including mineral and collagen content. Since bone undergoes continuous remodeling, age-related osteoporosis may result from the formation of bone with poor composition. This could include development of a poorly connected osteocyte lacunocanalicular network, which is an intricate, mechanically sensitive system of tiny channels that interconnects osteocytes and regulates bone structure. Although there is evidence that degeneration occurs in women, it is not known whether bone composition is defective in older men.
This project will test this by examining specimens from healthy young adult males (aged 19–35) and aged adult males (aged 75–91). Using high-resolution confocal laser scanning microscopy, the student will map the osteocyte lacunocanalicular network in these samples.
Then, by quantitative backscattered electron imaging (qBEI) and TINA (Tools for Image and Network Analysis) Python scripts, the student will quantify mineral content and analyse the three-dimensional arrangement of the osteocyte network across osteons of differing maturity. By comparing these characteristics between younger and older samples, this project will improve understanding of how ageing affects bone composition and cellular networks.
The student will contribute directly by carrying out detailed image analysis, measuring osteocyte network connectivity, and assisting in the interpretation of how age and anatomical location affect bone quality. This work will enhance the student’s research skills and provide valuable insights into skeletal ageing in men.
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