Cortical Bone Porosity: What Is It, Why Is It Important, and How Can We Detect It?
There is growing recognition of the role of micro-architecture in osteoporotic bone loss and fragility. This trend has been driven by advances in imaging technology, which have enabled a transition from measures of mass to micro-architecture. Imaging trabecular bone has been a key research focus, but advances in resolution have also enabled the detection of cortical bone micro-architecture, particularly the network of vascular canals, commonly referred to as 'cortical porosity.' This review aims to provide an overview of what this level of porosity is, why it is important, and how it can be characterized by imaging. Moving beyond a 'trabeculocentric' view of bone loss holds the potential to improve diagnosis and monitoring of interventions. Furthermore, cortical porosity is intimately linked to the remodeling process, which underpins bone loss, and thus a larger potential exists to improve our fundamental understanding of bone health through imaging of both humans and animal models.
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. dml.cooper@usask.ca.
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DM
Cooper
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
C E
CE
Kawalilak
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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K
Harrison
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
B D
BD
Johnston
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
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JD
Johnston
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D000071538:Cortical Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016062:Porosity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Bone; Cortical bone; Cortical porosity; Imaging; Osteoporosis; Remodeling