Parallel plate model for trabecular bone exhibits volume fraction-dependent bias

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Day, J. S¹; Ding, M.²; Odgaard, A.²; Sumner, D. R³; Hvid, I.²; Weinans, H.¹

Parallel plate model for trabecular bone exhibits volume fraction-dependent bias

Bone. November 2000;27(5):715-720

Affiliations

¹Erasmus Orthopaedics Research Lab, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

²Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

³Departments of Anatomy and Orthopedic Surgery, Rush Medical College, Rush–Presbyterian–St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
Abstract and keywords

Unbiased stereological methods were used in conjunction with microcomputed tomographic (micro-CT) scans of human and animal bone to investigate errors created when the parallel plate model was used to calculate morphometric parameters. Bone samples were obtained from the human proximal tibia, canine distal femur, rat tail, and pig spine and scanned in a micro-CT scanner. Trabecular thickness, trabecular spacing, and trabecular number were calculated using the parallel plate model. Direct thickness, and spacing and connectivity density were calculated using unbiased three-dimensional methods. Both thickness and spacing calculated using the plate model were well correlated to the direct three-dimensional measures (r² = 0.77–0.92). The correlation between trabecular number and connectivity density varied greatly (r² = 0.41–0.94). Whereas trabecular thickness was consistently underestimated using the plate model, trabecular spacing was underestimated at low volume fractions and overestimated at high volume fractions. Use of the plate model resulted in a volume-dependent bias in measures of thickness and spacing (p < 0.001). This was a result of the fact that samples of low volume fraction were much more "rod-like" than those of the higher volume fraction. Our findings indicate that the plate model provides biased results, especially when populations with different volume fractions are compared. Therefore, we recommend direct thickness measures when three-dimensional data sets are available.

Keywords: Trabecular bone; Architecture; Histomorphometry; Microcomputed tomography (micro-CT)
Links

DOI: 10.1016/S8756-3282(00)00371-9

PubMed: 11062361

WoS: 000165229600020

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2008	Yeni YN, Zelman EA, Divine GW, Kim D-G, Fyhrie DP. Trabecular shear stress amplification and variability in human vertebral cancellous bone: relationship with age, gender, spine level and trabecular architecture. Bone. March 2008;42(3):591-596.
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2005	Day JS. Bone Quality: The Mechanical Effects of Microarchitecture and Matrix Properties [PhD thesis]. Erasmus University Rotterdam; 2005.
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