A Microtomographic System for the Nondestructive Evaluation of Bone Architecture

Abstract

Microtomography (micro-computed-tomography, mu-CT) is a method to image and quantify trabecular bone. It has the capability to address the role of trabecular architecture on the mechanical properties of bone and to study trabecular bone remodeling. The system described in this work is based on a compact fan-beam type tomograph that can work in spiral scanning or multislice mode. An X-ray tube with a microfocus is used as a source, a CCD-array as a detector. Samples with diameters from a few millimeters to a maximum of 14 mm can be measured, typically, bone biopsies with a diameter of 8 mm and a length of approximately 10 mm are measured. Spatial resolution is 28 microns. Usually the volume of interest contains 4 x 4 x 4 mm3 and is represented in 14 x 14 x 14 microns3 voxels. 3D stereological indices are extracted according to the standard definitions used in histomorphometry. Triangular surface representation is effected with an extended marching cube algorithm and forms a convenient basis for finite element analysis. Microtomographic measurements may be employed to "calibrate" lower-dose, lower-resolution images in vivo as well as to nondestructively assess unprocessed surgical bone biopsy specimens. These specimens remain intact for mechanical or histological testing.

Microfocus Computed Tomography Analysis of Early Changes in Bone Microstructure in Rats with Chronic Renal Failure

“…MXCT was initially developed to nondestructively and precisely observe the interior structures of non-organic subjects [6, 7]. Recently, this device has been applied for the analysis of bone microstructure [27].…”

“…A high-resolution X-ray tomographic system referred to as microfocus X-ray CT (MXCT) was newly developed to noninvasively observe the internal structure of biological and/or nonbiological materials [6, 7]. In general, satisfactory resolution is not obtained by simply magnifying an X-ray image.…”

Advanced Imaging of the Macrostructure and Microstructure of Bone

“…Another in vitro µCT scanner with a spatial resolution of 15–20 µm 3 has recently been developed by Rüegsegger and colleagues [28, 29]and has been used extensively in laboratory investigations. This scanner has been reported to give high accuracy in relation to standard two-dimensional histomorphometry and to serial grindings and their derived three-dimensional parameters [17].…”

High Resolution X-Ray Microtomography: Applications in Biomedical Research

“…As with synchrotron illumination (Nuzzo et al, 2003), micro-CT using laboratory polychromatic Xray sources already has several in vitro applications in bone research (Rü egsegger et al, 1976;Rü egsegger, Koller and Mü ller, 1996;Elliott et al, 1997;Postnov et al, 2003). Due to the high X-ray attenuation coefficient of calcium, micro-CT is most suitable to study bone and calcified tissues .…”

“…Recently, principles of X-ray computed tomography were implemented in desktop micro-CT instruments (Elliot and Dover, 1982;Rü egsegger, Koller and Mü ller, 1996;Sasov and Van Dyck, 1998) for application in fundamental research both in materials science and subsequently in biomedical research. Depending on the spatial resolution that can be obtained, a classification of the available CT techniques can be made (Davis and Wong, 1996;Ketcham and Carlson, 2001).…”