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Assessment of trabecular and cortical architecture and mechanical competence of bone by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography: comparison with transiliac bone biopsy

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Abstract

Summary

We compared microarchitecture and mechanical competence parameters measured by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and finite-element analysis of radius and tibia to those measured by histomorphometry, micro-CT, and finite-element analysis of transiliac bone biopsies. Correlations were weak to moderate between parameters measured on biopsies and scans.

Introduction

HR-pQCT is a new imaging technique that assesses trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture of the radius and tibia in vivo. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which microarchitectural variables measured by HR-pQCT reflect those measured by the “gold standard,” transiliac bone biopsy.

Methods

HR-pQCT scans (Xtreme CT, Scanco Medical AG) and iliac crest bone biopsies were performed in 54 subjects (aged 39 ± 10 years). Biopsies were analyzed by 2D quantitative histomorphometry and 3D microcomputed tomography (µCT). Apparent Young’s modulus, an estimate of mechanical competence or strength, was determined by micro-finite-element analysis (µFE) of biopsy µCT and HR-pQCT images.

Results

The strongest correlations observed were between trabecular parameters (bone volume fraction, number, separation) measured by µCT of biopsies and HR-pQCT of the radius (R 0.365–0.522; P < 0.01). Cortical width of biopsies correlated with cortical thickness by HR-pQCT, but only at the tibia (R = 0.360, P < 0.01). Apparent Young’s modulus calculated by µFE of biopsies correlated with that calculated for both radius (R = 0.442; P < 0.001) and tibia (R = 0.380; P < 0.001) HR-pQCT scans.

Conclusions

The associations between peripheral (HR-pQCT) and axial (transiliac biopsy) measures of microarchitecture and estimated mechanical competence are significant but modest.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors have no financial relationship with the organizations that sponsored the research and have no disclosures. The authors have had full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review their data if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, PH8-864, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    A. Cohen, T. L. Nickolas, D. J. McMahon, M. R. Rubin, J. P. Bilezikian & E. Shane

  2. Helen Hayes Hospital, West Haverstraw, NY, USA

    D. W. Dempster & H. Zhou

  3. ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

    R. Müller, A. J. Wirth, G. H. van Lenthe & T. Kohler

  4. Bone Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    X. E. Guo, X. S. Liu & X. H. Zhang

  5. Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA

    J. M. Lappe & R. R. Recker

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  1. A. Cohen
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  2. D. W. Dempster
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  3. R. Müller
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Cohen.

Additional information

These studies are supported by the following NIH funding sources: AR49896, DK069350, and AR051376.

Computing time for finite-element analysis of the bone biopsies was granted by the Swiss National Supercomputing Center (CSCS, Manno, Switzerland).

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Cohen, A., Dempster, D.W., Müller, R. et al. Assessment of trabecular and cortical architecture and mechanical competence of bone by high-resolution peripheral computed tomography: comparison with transiliac bone biopsy. Osteoporos Int 21, 263–273 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-009-0945-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-009-0945-7

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