title: Normalized volume of interest selection and measurement of bone volume in microCT scans.
abstract: Quantification of osteolytic lesions in bone is pivotal in the research of metastatic bone disease in small animal models. Osteolytic lesions are quantified using 2D X-ray photographs, which often neglects to take into account any changes in 3D structure. Furthermore, measurement errors are inadvertently introduced when a region of interest with predefined dimensions is used during MicroCT analysis. To study osteolytic processes, a normalized method of selecting a region of interest is required. Here we describe a new method to select volumes of interest in a normalized way regardless of curvature, fractures or dislocations within the bone. In addition, this method enables the user to visualize normalized cross sections in an exact 90° angle or along the longitudinal axis of bone, at any given point. As a result, the user can compare measurements of diameter, volume and structure between different bones in a normalized manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. t.j.a.snoeks@lumc.nl
authors.forename: T J A
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Snoeks
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kaijzel
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Que
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.forename: C W G M
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Löwik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009929:Organ Size; D010014:Osteolysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*