title: The direct examination of three-dimensional bone architecture in vitro by computed tomography.
abstract: We describe a new method for the direct examination of three-dimensional bone structure in vitro based on high-resolution computed tomography (CT). Unlike clinical CT, a three-dimensional reconstruction array is created directly, rather than a series of two-dimensional slices. All structural indices commonly determined from two-dimensional histologic sections can be obtained nondestructively from a large number of slices in each of three orthogonal directions. This permits a comprehensive description of structural variation within a specimen and greatly facilitates the study of structural anisotropy. A measure of three-dimensional connectivity (Euler number/tissue volume) has been determined for the first time in human cancellous bone and shown to correlate with several two-dimensional histomorphometric indices. The method has the potential for overcoming many of the limitations of current approaches to the study of bone architecture at the microscopic level.
authors.affiliation: Physics Department, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Feldkamp
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Parfitt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jesion
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleerekoper
mesh_terms: D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*