Who's afraid of the big bad Wolff?: "Wolff's law" and bone functional adaptation.

摘要: "Wolff's law" is a concept that has sometimes been misrepresented, and frequently misunderstood, in the anthropological literature. Although it was originally formulated strict mathematical sense since discredited, more general of "bone functional adaptation" to mechanical loading (a designation should probably replace law") supported by much experimental observational data. Objections raised earlier studies bone adaptation have largely addressed recent better-controlled studies. While morphological response strains reduced adults relative juveniles, claims adult morphology reflects only juvenile loadings are greatly exaggerated. Similarly, while there important genetic influences on development nature bone's loading, variations themselves equally if not determining morphology, especially comparisons between closely related individuals or species. The correspondence strain patterns structure variable, depending skeletal location environment (e.g., distal vs. proximal limb elements, cursorial noncursorial animals), so mechanical/behavioral inferences based alone be limited corresponding regions animals with similar basic designs. Within such comparisons, traditional geometric parameters (such as second moments area section moduli) still give best available estimates vivo competence. Thus, when employed appropriate caution, these features may used reconstruct behavioral differences within past populations.