3D Growth Pattern Analysis of Tibia Metaphysis Surface in a Roman Imperial Sample

A new opportunity to employ a relatively sophisticated and accurate model to represent and characterise bone surface in digital form has been developed following strategies based mainlyon non-cartographic application of photogrammetry.The studied sample represents the tibia metaphysis growth plate of nine infant-juvenilesubjects. It has been extracted fiom a sample of young individuals from the Augustean time necropolis of Isola Sacra in Porto Fiumicino (Roma). The objective is the identification and the analysis of morphological elements, used as growth indicators, which characterise the methaphysis surface of long bones. The bone surface is characterised by regions which are non homogeneous, and the identification of these morphological pattems gives information about the bone growth, as they have been created by the depth of the serial cartilage, in particular the growth is greater where the cartilage is more developed. The pattern of growth variations observed on bone surface reflects genetic mechanisms and environmental stressors experienced by a population such as nutritional factors and disease, and their interrelations. In this area, emerging peaks, depressions and ridges, created by serial cartilage, form complex patterns which have been probably caused by vascularization processes and by alternating non uniform growth areas. The possibility to obtain more information from contour model of tibia plate surface permits to identify and analyse different bone growth rates in order to recognise typical patterns as well as deviation fiom the norm and to clarify the rules guiding such growth with reference to normal and pathologic features such as, for example development and metabolic abnormalities. An extensive collaboration with Politecnico of Torino has allowed the application to such a project an analytical photogrammetric method based on a Rollei 6006 semimetric camera and on analytical stereorestitutor Galileo "DIGICART 40" for data acquisition in form of contour maps with 0.2 mm of accuracy.