Posavac, V.: Appliance of DEXA osteodensitometry method for small animals in measuring mineral density of the humerus of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Diploma Thesis. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Zagreb, 2008

Abstract

All previous research of mineral density dolphin bones are described based only on results given on example of DEXA method for measuring human verthebral column, and there were no any measuring with different methods till now. Mineral bone density as a characteristic of bone system at dolphins can be related with different parts of morphology and physiology, pathology, diagnostic and treatment, and with line of biology characteristic as an age and sex of animal. This research is applicated on humerus bone of right pectoral fin of 24 bottlenose dolphins (11 male and 13 female). Bone preparation are analysed using osteodenzitometry device Hologic QDR-4000 with method for measuring and analyze mineral density of small animals. Main goal of research is to affirm possibility of appliance above mentioned method in measuring dolphin bone mineral density, and describe differences in applying this method and interpretation of given results comparing previose researches. It is confirmed that method for measuring mineral density small animals can be seccessfully applyed on dolphins, but the amount of measured results content of mineral and mineral bone density is lower rate than usin the human method. It is also confirmed that protocol of measuring between mentioned methods is not different, and that simulation of soft tissue can be applied with lexan-board. Statistic analysis of given results is shown that statistic results given with linear corelation parameter mineral density dolphins humerus and total body length and dolphin age match statistic values given with different methods of measuring, in spite of smaller animal sample used in this research. In female group of bottlenose dolphins it is seen value decreasse of mineral bone density of older unit what is in smaller animal sample has significantly effect on a statistic valuation given linear corelation tested characters. Based on this research, we can presume that in bones of female bottlenose dolphins during aging have similar processes described at women.