title: Three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance microimaging of trabecular bone.
abstract: The conventional approach to measuring structural parameters in trabecular bone rests on stereology from optical images, derived from sections of embedded bone. In order to provide data that are statistically representative of a sufficiently large volume, multiple sections need to be analyzed in each of the three orthogonal planes. In this work, an alternative technique is presented which is based on three-dimensional (3D) volumetric proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microimaging. The method presented provides from 9 x 9 x 4 mm3 volumes of defatted bone specimens in 15-20 minutes scan time at isotropic resolution corresponding to (78 microm)3 voxel size. Surface-rendered images of bovine and human trabecular bone are shown and an algorithm was developed and implemented for determining the orientation and magnitude of the principle axes of the mean intercept length tensor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Wehrli
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wehrli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002111:Calcaneus / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D016610:Tissue Embedding