Correlation of tuned aperture computed tomography with conventional computed tomography for evaluation of osseous healing in calvarial defects.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the diagnostic efficacy of iteratively restored tuned aperture computed tomography (TACT) with conventional computed tomography (CT) for evaluation of osseous healing in induced calvarial defects.


METHODS
Fifty-six calvarial defects in 14 rabbits received 1 of 4 possible treatments: copolymer membranes with and without bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), BMSCs alone, or no treatment (control). Healing was measured after 2, 4, and 8 wks as remaining defect areas measured on TACT and CT images. Histomorphometric analyses were done on the specimens.


RESULTS
Bone formation was minimal to none in control defects and those treated with BMSCs or polymer matrices alone. Healthy bone formation was noted in defects treated with polymers impregnated with BMSCs. Unresolved defect area measurements using TACT and CT of osseous healing showed a high positive correlation.


CONCLUSIONS
Potential for TACT to accurately detect osseous healing in surgical defects was demonstrated. High resolution of TACT combined with generation of information in 3D yields comparable performance to CT.
Nair
Madhu K
MK
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0414, USA. nairmk@radiology.ufl.edu
Nair
Umadevi P
UP
Seyedain
Ali
A
Gassner
Robert
R
Piesco
Nicholas
N
Mooney
Mark
M
Ganta
Sudhakar
S
Agarwal
Sudha
S
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D019344:Lactic Acid; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011108:Polymers; D011817:Rabbits; D012886:Skull / Q000601:surgery; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
D011108:Polymers; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid