[Progress in clinical bone assessment using CT]

Clinical computed tomography (CT) provides the information of bone structure and mineral density in vivo . Based on three-dimensional bone structure, voluntary two-dimensional sections are available, as well as trabecular and cortical data separately. However, the trabecular structure, which size is smaller than the spatial resolution, cannot be measured precisely. A recently system, high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT) , can visualize and quantify the trabecular and cortical microstructure in vivo . Because of low radiation dose and high reproducibility, HR-pQCT system is expected to be a useful tool to assess the pathophysiological changes or the efficacy of anti-osteoporotic agents on bone.