A radiographic technique for measuring the powder packing density in the cavities of trabecular bone

An X-ray technique has been developed to enable reproducible and quantitative data to be obtained from radiographs taken by a diagnostic X-ray machine. Careful attention has been paid to the alignment of the specimen and the diagnostic tube and to operating conditions. The choice of X-ray spectrum is described together with the experimental geometry used to minimize the scattered radiation incident on the film. The resultant scattered radiation intensity achieved is about 4% of the unattenuated direct radiation. Careful calibration procedures using objects the same size as the unknown specimen are necessary to avoid the need for complicated corrections for the resulting variation in scatter across the film. The LiF powder packing density is determined as 1-32 g cm-2 with a standard error of 0-52%. Values of projected bone thickness as a function of position in the bone are given. The average percentage of bone in the trabecular specimen is determined as 12-7 +/- 0-5, which is in close agreement with measurements of the same parameter determined from an optical scanning technique. The relationship between average packing density or rho y and the percentage of bone at different positions in the specimen packing density increase in percentage of bone, as would be expected.