Combining high-resolution micro-computed tomography with material composition to define the quality of bone tissue

Abstract

Atraumatic fractures of the skeleton in osteoporotic patients are directly related to a deterioration of bone strength. However, the failure of the bone tissue to withstand functional load bearing cannot be explained as a simple decrease in bone mineral density (quantity); strength is also significantly dependent upon bone quality. While a formal definition of bone quality is somewhat elusive, at the very least, it incorporates architectural, physical, and biologic factors that are critical to bone strength. Such factors include bone morphology (ie, trabecular connectivity, cross-sectional geometry, longitudinal curvature); the tissue's material properties (eg, stiffness, strength); its chemical composition and architecture (eg, ratio of calcium to other components of the organic and/or inorganic phase, collagen orientation, porosity, permeability); and the viability of the tissue (eg, responsivity of the bone cell population). Combining high-resolution structural indices of bone, as determined by micro-computed tomography; material properties determined by nanoindentation; and the chemical make-up of bone, as determined by infrared spectroscopy, helps to provide critical information toward a more comprehensive assessment of the interdependence of bone quality, quantity, and fracture risk.

BoneJ: Free and extensible bone image analysis in ImageJ

“…Bones are commonly imaged in computed tomographic (CT) and X-ray microtomographic (μCT) systems for research purposes, such as investigating trabecular and cortical changes in osteoporosis [1,2], comparative anatomy [3,4], and non-destructive examination of fossil skeletons [5,6]. We had hundreds of CT, μCT and synchrotron μCT scans of whole bones and trabecular bone cubes to analyse for studies on allometric bone scaling [7,8] and osteogenesis imperfecta.…”

Raman Assessment of Bone Quality

“…The term ''bone quality'' refers to the ensemble of composition and architectural properties of bone tissue that together determine its material properties and its ability to perform its mechanical functions [34]. Raman spectroscopy yields at least four important composition measures that are components of bone quality.…”

Trabecular Bone Mechanical Properties in Patients with Fragility Fractures

“…While bone quantity (mass) strongly correlates with strength [32], substantial variability remains unexplained [23] and growing evidence continues to demonstrate that measures or surrogates of bone quality are important for the evaluation of bone status [21,52]. Although somewhat controversial and poorly defined, quality has been referred to as a combination of apparent modulus and strength as well as some quantified measures of the geometry, morphology, microdamage, material (tissue), and chemical properties of the bone [29]. From an engineering perspective, bone strength depends on a combination of its structural and material properties, both of which can be modulated by bone turnover [62].…”

“…Structural properties depend on the size and shape of the bone (ie, cortical thickness, cross sectional area, moments of inertia), the microarchitecture of the bone (ie, cortical porosity, trabecular morphology, degree of anisotropy), and the amount of accumulated damage (microcracks). Material properties depend on the degree of mineralization, the crystal size of minerals, the amount and type of collagen crosslinks, the interactions of mineral with the matrix, other proteins, and fat [29].…”