Analysis of trabecular bone structure with multidetector spiral computed tomography in a simulated soft-tissue...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Orthopedic Research

Background:

• Assessing trabecular bone structure is crucial for understanding bone health and disease.
• High-resolution multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) offers potential for in vivo bone analysis.
• The influence of surrounding soft tissue (ST) on MDCT image quality and bone quantification is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of surrounding soft tissue on image quality using high-resolution MDCT.
• To evaluate the effect of simulated surrounding soft tissue on the quantification of trabecular bone structure.
• To compare MDCT results with micro-computed tomography (microCT) as a gold standard.

Main Methods:

• Eight human proximal femoral bone cores were scanned using microCT and MDCT.
• MDCT scans were performed both with and without simulated surrounding soft tissue (phantom).
• Image quality metrics (SNR, CNR) and trabecular bone structure parameters were analyzed and compared to microCT.

Main Results:

• MDCT overestimated trabecular structure parameters compared to microCT, both with and without surrounding ST.
• Image quality (SNR, CNR) was significantly higher in scans without surrounding ST.
• Significant correlations were found between microCT and MDCT for bone fraction, trabecular number, and separation.
• Root-mean-square errors ranged from 10-17%, with only bone fraction showing significant differences with and without ST.

Conclusions:

• High-resolution MDCT can visualize and quantify trabecular bone structure in an in vivo-like setting, including at proximal femur sites.
• Surrounding soft tissue significantly compromises image quality due to scatter but does not prevent appreciation of major trabecular network characteristics.
• MDCT shows promise for in vivo assessment of trabecular bone, despite the challenges posed by soft tissue attenuation.