Cortical thickness mapping at segmented regions in the distal radius using HR-pQCT

An advanced method of analyzing the cortical bone microarchitecture of the distal radius using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) was developed.

The subjects were 60 women (20: aged 30-49, 20: aged 50-69, and 20: aged 70-89 years). The distal radius was scanned by HR-pQCT, and its cortical volumetric bone mineral density (Ct.vBMD), cortical porosity (Ct.Po), and cortical thickness (Ct.Th) were measured. The cortical bone was also divided into three areas according to whether its thickness was < 0.5 mm, 0.5-1.0 mm, or > 1.0 mm, and the percentage of each surface area in the total surface area of cortical bone was calculated (Ct.Th (<0.5), Ct.Th (0.5-1.0), Ct.Th (>1.0), respectively). The cortical bone at the distal radius was further segmented into dorsal, palmar, radial, and ulnar sides, and the above-described parameters were measured in these regions.

Integral analysis showed that Ct.vBMD and Ct.Th decreased and Ct.Po increased with age (R = - 0.62, - 0.55, and 0.54). Ct.Th (< 0.5) expanded with age (R = 0.49), with the rate of change between those aged 30-49 years and those aged 50-69 years being 106.7%. On regional analysis, the expansion of Ct.Th (< 0.5) with age was particularly marked on the dorsal and palmar side (R = 0.51 and 0.49), where the rate of change between those aged 30-49 years and those aged 50-69 years was the highest, at 196.1 and 149.6%.

The method to identify areas of cortical bone thinning in the segmented regions of the dorsal, palmar, radial, and ulnar sides of the distal radius using HR-pQCT may offer a sensitive assessment of age-related deterioration of cortical bone.