Abstract
BackgroundTo reveal trends in bone microarchitectural parameters with increasing spatial resolution on ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (UHRCT) in vivo and to compare its performance with that of conventional-resolution CT (CRCT) and micro-CT ex vivo.MethodsWe retrospectively assessed 5 tiger vertebrae ex vivo and 16 human tibiae in vivo. Seven-pattern and four-pattern resolution imaging were performed on tiger vertebra using CRCT, UHRCT, and micro-CT, and on human tibiae using UHRCT. We measured six microarchitectural parameters: volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), trabecular bone volume fraction (bone volume/total volume, BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), and connectivity density (ConnD). Comparisons between different imaging resolutions were performed using Tukey or Dunnett T3 test.ResultsThe vBMD, BV/TV, Tb.N, and ConnD parameters showed an increasing trend, while Tb.Sp showed a decreasing trend both ex vivo and in vivo. Ex vivo, UHRCT at the two highest resolutions (1024- and 2048-matrix imaging with 0.25-mm slice thickness) and CRCT showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.047) in vBMD (51.4 mg/cm3 and 63.5 mg/cm3versus 20.8 mg/cm3), BV/TV (26.5% and 29.5% versus 13.8 %), Tb.N (1.3 l/mm and 1.48 l/mm versus 0.47 l/mm), and ConnD (0.52 l/mm3 and 0.74 l/mm3versus 0.02 l/mm3, respectively). In vivo, the 512- and 1024-matrix imaging with 0.25-mm slice thickness showed significant differences in Tb.N (0.38 l/mm versus 0.67 l/mm, respectively) and ConnD (0.06 l/mm3versus 0.22 l/mm3, respectively).ConclusionsWe observed characteristic trends in microarchitectural parameters and demonstrated the potential utility of applying UHRCT for microarchitectural analysis.
Highlights
To reveal trends in bone microarchitectural parameters with increasing spatial resolution on ultrahigh-resolution computed tomography (UHRCT) in vivo and to compare its performance with that of conventionalresolution computer tomography (CT) (CRCT) and micro-CT ex vivo
Imaging methods used for this purpose are based on the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) [3]
This study aimed to reveal the trends in bone microarchitectural parameters based on the increase in spatial resolution by three different CT scanners for ex vivo assessments, matrix numbers, and slice thicknesses on UHRCT for in vivo assessments
Summary
To reveal trends in bone microarchitectural parameters with increasing spatial resolution on ultrahigh-resolution computed tomography (UHRCT) in vivo and to compare its performance with that of conventionalresolution CT (CRCT) and micro-CT ex vivo. Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterised by compromised bone strength that predisposes patients to an increased risk of fractures [1]. Various methods have been established to identify patients at high-risk for osteoporotic fractures, as well as to initiate appropriate therapeutic measures before osteoporosis-associated fractures occur. Imaging methods used for this purpose are based on the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) [3]. DXA provides information regarding the areal BMD of the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and femoral neck. Areal BMD measurements obtained with DXA are currently considered to be the most significant predictors of fracture risk; BMD only indicates the bone mass and does not account for all aspects of fractures [4]. Clinicians have sought other methods to assess bone quality, yielding new concepts that encompass BMD and several other bone characteristics, such as apatite crystallisation, collagen properties, and trabecular microarchitecture [6]
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