title: In vivo trabecular thickness measurement in cancellous bones: longitudinal rat imaging studies.
abstract: Using cross-sectional x-ray images taken with zoom-in micro computed tomography (micro-CT), we have measured trabecular thickness in the femoral bones of live rats. Since zoom-in micro-CT is capable of high-resolution imaging of a small local region inside a large subject, we were able to measure trabecular thickness in femoral bones without sacrificing the rats. To longitudinally observe the trabecular thickness change caused by ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis, we have taken zoom-in micro-CT images of 15 live Sprague-Dawley rats (group A: 5 ovariectomized rats fed with regular food; group B: 5 ovariectomized rats fed with calcium-deficient food; group C: 5 controls) every other week for 10 weeks. We have observed that the mean trabecular thickness in the femoral bones of groups A and B decreased monotonically down to about 10.7% and 15.5%, respectively, as compared to that of group C, within 12 weeks after the ovariectomy, while the mean trabecular thickness of group C increased about 12.7%. We expect that zoom-in micro-CT can be successfully used in osteoporosis studies in which longitudinal imaging studies are required.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, Kyung Hee University, Korea.
authors.forename: In Kon
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Min Hyoung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Ji-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Soo Yeol
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015519:Bone Density; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*