Harris lines
Harris lines are lines of higher bone density that can be seen on x-rays . They run parallel to the epiphyseal plate in the metaphysis of long bones - especially the shinbone ( tibia ) - and are a sign of a short-term change in the longitudinal growth of the bones . In the English-speaking world, the terms Harris lines , growth arrest lines , recovery lines , stress lines , Park-Harris growth arrest lines or Park lines are used. The name goes back to the first describer, the Welsh anatomist Henry Albert Harris or Edwards Albert Park (1877-1969).
The causes of Harris lines are often vitamin or nutritional deficiencies (for example in the event of illness or malnutrition) or prolonged immobility; thereafter, after growth stoppages, there should be a subsequent catch-up growth with changed new bone formation, which can be seen as a transverse radiopaque stripe. Harris lines, once created, can regress and lose their visibility. The interpretation of Harris lines as an indicator of malnutrition is controversial; Recent studies show that Harris lines are not caused by malnutrition, but are a common phenomenon in bone growth in children and adolescents.
literature
- Chr. Papageorgopoulou, SK Suter, FJ Rühli, F. Siegmund: Harris lines revisited: Prevalence, co-morbidities and possible aetiologies. American Journal of Human Biology 23 (3), 2011, pp. 381-391. doi : 10.1002 / ajhb.21155
- S. Suter, M. Harders, Chr. Papageorgopoulou, G. Kuhn, G. Szekely, FJ Rühli: Technical note: Standardized and semiautomated Harris lines detection. American Journal of Physical Anthropololy 137, 2008, pp. 362-366.
- MP Alfonso-Durruty: Experimental assessment of nutrition and bone growth's velocity effects on Harris lines formation. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 145 (2), 2011, pp. 169-180. doi : 10.1002 / ajpa.21480