Normalized volume of interest selection and measurement of bone volume in microCT scans

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.