Quantification technique for analysing juvenile sacral trabecular microarchitecture: a micro-CT scan and Skyscan Ctanalyser method.

• Main Authors: Yusof, Nurul Asyiqin, Soames, Roger W., Black, Sue M., Craig, Cunningham A.
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: QM Human anatomy
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/75204/1/Poster%20MAAC%202019%20-%20technique%20in%20analysing%20trabecular%20bone.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/75204/7/Dr%20Nurul%20Asyiqin%20Yusof%20poster%20MAAC2019.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/75204/

Background/Objective: The study of trabecular bone provides information relating to bone strength. A number of imaging modalities are used to investigate the internal trabecular structure of human bone, including x-ray macroradiography, high resolution-CT (HRCT) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), with many studies focusing on adult bone analysis, including fracture management and osteoporosis-related bone density. However, only a limited number have investigated trabecular microarchitecture in juvenile bone. The purpose of the current study is to introduce a technique of quantifying trabecular bone parameters in the human juvenile sacrum. Methodology: Twenty-six individual human S1 sacra spanning the period from infancy to eight years of age were examined using micro-CT. The images were analysed using Skyscan CTAnalyser (Skyscan CTAn) 1.11, which provides detailed 3-D quantification of trabecular architecture in a targeted region for specific parameters: (i) bone volume fraction (BV/TV (%)), (ii) trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), (iii) trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), (iv) trabecular number (Tb.N), (v) structural model index (SMI) and (vi) degree of anisotropy (DA). Result and Discussion: Areas fo high-density, populated with plate-like trabecular structures are commonly found in high stress regions of the bone, suggesting that the trabecular pattern correlates highly with mechanical properties. The results demonstrated that in S1, the areas of high stress are located at the medial part of the vertebra, while the lateral part (the auricular areas) exhibit sparse bone density.