Trabecular Bone
Definition
The spongy inner lattice of bone, found at epiphyses and in flat bones. Porosity of 50 to 90 percent allows rapid water and microbial infiltration post-mortem, leading to faster collagen hydrolysis and DNA degradation compared to cortical bone.
- Location
- Epiphyses and flat bones
- Porosity
- 50 to 90 percent
- Post-mortem effect
- Rapid water and microbial infiltration
- Consequence
- Faster collagen hydrolysis and DNA degradation
- Compared to cortical bone
- Degrades considerably faster
Common questions
Why do labs prefer cortical bone over trabecular bone for DNA extraction?+
Cortical bone's dense structure resists moisture and microbial ingress, which preserves DNA for longer. Trabecular bone's high porosity accelerates hydrolysis and microbial colonization, so it typically yields less usable DNA in older or exposed remains.
Does trabecular bone have any forensic advantage despite its poor preservation?+
Yes. Its higher metabolic turnover and surface area make it useful for methods sensitive to bone remodeling rate, and it is the tissue examined in several skeletal age-estimation techniques that do not depend on DNA survival.
Related terms
- Cortical Bone
- The dense outer shell of long bones, also called compact bone. Porosity is less than 10 percent. High mineral density, slow water...
- Hydroxyapatite
- The calcium phosphate mineral (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) that constitutes approximately 70 percent of bone dry weight. Its crystals bind to DNA fragments electrostatically, slowing...
- Inhibitor Removal
- Laboratory steps applied to degraded bone before PCR amplification. Collagen hydrolysis products, humic acids, and heavy metals in aged bone inhibit DNA...
- Osteon (Haversian System)
- The basic structural unit of compact cortical bone: a central Haversian canal surrounded by concentric lamellae of mineralised collagen. Osteon diameter and...
- Stable Isotope Analysis
- A technique that measures the ratio of stable (non-radioactive) isotopes of elements such as strontium, oxygen, and carbon in a biological sample....