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Structural parameters of normal and osteoporotic human trabecular bone are affected differently by microCT image resolution

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Abstract

Summary

This study employed microCT to investigate whether image resolution affects bone structural parameters differently in healthy normal and osteoporotic trabecular bone. With increasing image voxel size, the originally detected differences between sample groups diminished. The results suggest that structural differences may not be reliably detected with clinical scanners.

Introduction

Structural parameters of bone reflect its health status, but are highly dependent on the image resolution. We hypothesized that image resolution affects bone structural parameters differently in normal and osteoporotic trabecular bone.

Methods

Human trabecular bone samples from the iliac crest and the knee were analyzed (normal n = 11, osteoporotic n = 15) using a high-resolution microCT (14 or 18 µm voxel sizes). Images were re-sampled to voxel sizes 1–16 times larger than the original image and thresholded with global or local adaptive algorithms. Absolute and normalized values of each structural parameter were calculated, and the effect of decreasing image resolution was compared between the normal and osteoporotic samples.

Results

Normal and osteoporotic samples had different (p < 0.05) absolute bone volume fractions. However, the normalized values showed that the osteoporotic samples were more prone to errors (p < 0.05) with increased voxel size. The absolute values of trabecular number, trabecular separation, degree of anisotropy, and structure model index were different between the groups at the original voxel size (p < 0.05), but at voxel sizes between 60 and 110 µm, those differences were no longer significant.

Conclusions

The results suggest that structural differences between osteoporotic and normal trabecular bone may not be reliably detected with clinical CT scanners providing image voxel sizes above 100 µm.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support from the Academy of Finland (128863), Kuopio University Hospital (EVO 5231), and the European Commission (BONEQUAL-219980) is gratefully acknowledged.

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Mathematics, Biophysics of bone and cartilage, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    H. Isaksson, J. Töyräs, A. S. Aula, I. Tamminen & J. S. Jurvelin

  2. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Kuopio University Hospital, POB 1777, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    J. Töyräs & P. Julkunen

  3. Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, POB 1777, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    M. Hakulinen

  4. Bone and Cartilage Research Unit, University of Eastern Finland, POB 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    I. Tamminen & H. Kröger

  5. Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, POB 1777, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    P. Julkunen

  6. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Kuopio University Hospital, POB 1777, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    H. Kröger

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  1. H. Isaksson
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  2. J. Töyräs
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Correspondence to H. Isaksson.

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Isaksson, H., Töyräs, J., Hakulinen, M. et al. Structural parameters of normal and osteoporotic human trabecular bone are affected differently by microCT image resolution. Osteoporos Int 22, 167–177 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-010-1219-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-010-1219-0

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