A quantitative analysis of trabecular bone structure is presented, based on omnidirectional distributions of paths across (a) trabeculation and (b) marrow cavities. The omnidirectional distributions, which take into account structural anisotropy, are generated from measured distributions of paths. Representative examples are given, together with values of two commonly quoted structural parameters, the ratio of endosteal surface to bone volume and percentage bone volume. Data on the biological and age variations in the third lumbar vertebra are also presented and an index of trabecular anisotropy suggested. Finally, the results are compared with those of other workers and estimates of useful skeletal parameters given.
A technique is described by which lithium fluoride powder is introduced into the marrow cavities in specimens of human trabecular bone to determine the excess photoelectron dose to marrow, when bone is irradiated by X rays of energies between 20 keV and 140 keV. Three specimens of trabecular bone, containing respectively 10, 15 and 25% bone by volume, were investigated and the results compared with those derived on the basis of earlier calculations for mono-energetic electrons by Whitwell. Reasonable agreement was found between the experimental and theoretical results, although there was some indication that scatter influenced the practical measurements at the higher photon energies. Theoretical calculations are then used to derive photoelectron dose enhancements for complete bones from the measured results on the bone specimens, and mean enhancements of the marrow dose for the whole human skeleton are calculated for subjects aged 44, 9 and 1.7 years.
Mean dose factors have been calculated for those tissues in bone that are relevant to the induction of late irradiation effects; namely, red bone marrow and endosteal tissues lining trabecular bone surfaces. The calculations are based on a Monte Carlo computer method for beta-emitting radionuclides which are distributed uniformly throughout the volume of mineralized bone. Results are given for the radionuclides 14C, 45Ca, 22Na, 18F, 32P, 90Y and 90Sr+90Y (all considered for this purpose as volume-seekers) for seven bones from the adult human skeleton and calculations are also presented of average skeletal dose factors. Where possible, results are compared with those derived from other methods based on simple geometrical models.
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