Trabecular bone mineral and calculated structure of human bone specimens scanned by peripheral quantitative computed tomography: relation to biomechanical properties

wbldb

Jiang, Yebin¹; Zhao, Jenny¹; Augat, Peter¹; Ouyang, Xiaolong¹; Lu, Ying¹; Majumdar, Sharmila¹; Genant, Harry K.¹

Trabecular bone mineral and calculated structure of human bone specimens scanned by peripheral quantitative computed tomography: relation to biomechanical properties

J Bone Miner Res. November 1998;13(11):1783-1790

©1998 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Affiliations

¹Osteoporosis and Arthritis Research Group and Musculoskeletal Section, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
Abstract

The relationship of cortical bone mineral density (BMD), and geometry to bone strength has been well documented. In this study, we used peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) to acquire trabecular BMD and high‐resolution images of trabeculae from specimens to determine their relationship with biomechanical properties. Fifty‐eight human cubic trabecular bone specimens, including 26 from the vertebral bodies, were scanned in water and air. Trabecular structure was quantitated using software developed with Advanced Visual Systems interfaced on a Sun/Sparc Workstation. BMD was also obtained using a whole‐body computerized tomography scanner (QCT). Nondestructive testing of the specimens was performed to assess their elastic modulus. QCT and pQCT measurements of BMD of specimens in water were strongly correlated (r² = 0.95, p < 0.0001), with a slope (0.96) statistically not significantly different from 1. Strong correlations were found between pQCT measurements of specimens in water and in air, for BMD (r² = 0.96, p < 0.0001), and for apparent trabecular structural parameters (r² = 0.89–0.93, p < 0.0001). Correlations were moderate between BMD and apparent trabecular structural parameters (r² = 0.37–0.64, p < 0.0001). Precision as coefficient of variation (CV) and standardized coefficient of variation (SCV) for these measurements was < 5%. For the vertebral specimens, the correlation was higher between elastic modulus and BMD (r² = 0.76, p < 0.0001) than between elastic modulus and apparent trabecular structural parameters (r² = 0.58–0.72, p < 0.0001), while the addition of apparent trabecular nodes and branches to BMD in a multivariate regression model significantly increased the correlation with the elastic modulus (r² = 0.86, p < 0.01). Thus, pQCT can comparably and reproducibly measure trabecular bone mineral in water or air, and trabecular structure can be quantitated from pQCT images. The combination of volumetric BMD with trabecular structural parameters rather than either alone improves the prediction of biomechanical properties. Such a noninvasive approach may be useful for the preclinical study of osteoporosis.
Links

DOI: 10.1359/jbmr.1998.13.11.1783

PubMed: 9797489

WoS: 000076526500020
History

Received: 1997-12-26

Revised: 1998-06-11

Accepted: 1998-06-30

Cited Works (29)

Year	Entry
1985	Cann CE, Genant HK, Kolb FO, Ettinger B. Quantitative computed tomography for prediction of vertebral fracture risk. Bone. 1985;6(1):1-7.
1990	Riggs BL, Hodgson SF, O'Fallon WM, Chao EYS, Wahner HW, Muhs JM, Cedel SL, Melton LJ III. Effect of fluoride treatment on the fracture rate in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. NEJM. March 22, 1990;322(12):802-809.
1993	Engelke K, Graeff W, Meiss L, Hahn M, Delling G. High spatial resolution imaging of bone mineral using computed microtomography: comparison with microradiography and undecalcified histologic sections. Invest Radiol. April 1993;28(4):341-349.
1996	Müller R, Hahn M, Vogel M, Delling G, Rüegsegger P. Morphometric analysis of noninvasively assessed bone biopsies: comparison of high-resolution computed tomography and histologic sections. Bone. March 1996;18(3):215-220.
1993	Dalstra M, Huiskes R, Odgaard A, van Erning L. Mechanical and textural properties of pelvic trabecular bone. J Biomech. April–May 1993;26(4-5):523-535.
1996	Genant HK, Engelke K, Fuerst T, Glüer C, Grampp S, Harris ST, Jergas M, Lang T, Lu Y, Majumdar S, Mathur A, Takada M. Noninvasive assessment of bone mineral and structure: state of the art. J Bone Miner Res. June 1996;11(6):707-730.
1991	Martin RB. Determinants of the mechanical properties of bones. J Biomech. 1991;24(suppl 1):79-88.
1998	Gordon CL, Lang TF, Augat P, Genant HK. Image-based assessment of spinal trabecular bone structure from high-resolution CT images. Osteoporos Int. August 1998;8(4):317-325.
1980	Cann CE, Genant HK. Precise measurement of vertebral mineral content using computed tomography. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1980;4(4):493-500.
1989	Linde F, Hvid I, Pongsoipetch B. Energy absorptive properties of human trabecular bone specimens during axial compression. J Orthop Res. May 1989;7(3):432-439.
1991	Durand EP, Rüegsegger P. Cancellous bone structure: analysis of high-resolution ct images with the run-length method. J Comput Assist Tomogr. January–February 1991;15(1):133-139.
1990	Cummings SR, Black DM, Nevitt MC, Browner WS, Cauley JA, Genant HK, Mascioli SR, Scott JC, Seeley DG, Steiger P, Vogt TM; The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. Appendicular bone density and age predict hip fracture in women. JAMA. February 2, 1990;263(5):665-668.
1991	Seeley DG, Browner WS, Nevitt MC, Genant HK, Scott JC, Cummings SR; Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. Which fractures are associated with low appendicular bone mass in elderly women? Ann Intern Med. December 1, 1991;115(11):837-842.
1989	Linde F, Hvid I. The effect of constraint on the mechanical behaviour of trabecular bone specimens. J Biomech. 1989;22(5):485-490.
1991	Linde F, Nørgaard P, Hvid I, Odgaard A, Søballe K. Mechanical properties of trabecular bone: dependency on strain rate. J Biomech. 1991;24(9):803-809.
1987	Parfitt AM, Drezner MK, Glorieux FH, Kanis JA, Malluche H, Meunier PJ, Ott SM, Recker RR. Bone histomorphometry: standardization of nomenclature, symbols, and units: report of the ASBMR histomorphometry nomenclature committee. J Bone Miner Res. December 1987;2(6):595-610.
1990	Lotz JC, Gerhart TN, Hayes WC. Mechanical properties of trabecular bone from the proximal femur: a quantitative CT study. J Comput Assist Tomogr. January–February 1990;14(1):107-114.
1996	Augat P, Reeb H, Claes LE. Prediction of fracture load at different skeletal sites by geometric properties of the cortical shell. J Bone Miner Res. September 1996;11(9):1356-1363.
1992	Chevalier F, Laval-Jeantet AM, Laval-Jeantet M, Bergot C. CT image analysis of the vertebral trabecular network in vivo. Calcif Tiss Int. July 1992;51(1):8-13.
1989	Esses SI, Lotz JC, Hayes WC. Biomechanical properties of the proximal femur determined in vitro by single‐energy quantitative computed tomography. J Bone Miner Res. October 1989;4(5):715-722.
1992	Black DM, Cummings SR, Genant HK, Nevitt MC, Palermo L, Browner W. Axial and appendicular bone density predict fractures in older women. J Bone Miner Res. June 1992;7(6):633-638.
1993	Cummings SR, Black DM, Nevitt MC, Browner W, Cauley J, Ensrud K, Genant HK, Palmero L, Scott J, Vogt TM; Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. Bone density at various sites for prediction of hip fractures. Lancet. January 9, 1993;341(8837):72-75.
1997	Majumdar S, Genant HK, Grampp S, Newitt DC, Truong V-H, Lin JC, Mathur A. Correlation of trabecular bone structure with age, bone mineral density, and osteoporotic status: in vivo studies in the distal radius using high resolution magnetic resonance imaging. J Bone Miner Res. January 1997;12(1):111-118.
1988	Lang SM, Moyle DD, Berg EW, Detorie N, Gilpin AT, Pappas NJ Jr, Reynolds JC, Tkacik M, Waldron RL II. Correlation of mechanical properties of vertebral trabecular bone with equivalent mineral density as measured by computed tomography. J Bone Joint Surg. December 1988;70A(10):1531-1538.
1993	Melton LJ III, Atkinson EJ, O'Fallon WM, Wahner HW, Riggs BL. Long‐term fracture prediction by bone mineral assessed at different skeletal sites. J Bone Miner Res. September 1993;8(10):1227-1233.
1995	Ito M, Ohki M, Hayashi K, Yamada M, Uetani M, Nakamura T. Trabecular texture analysis of CT images in the relationship with spinal fracture. Radiology. January 1995;194(1):55-59.
1983	Martens M, Van Audekercke R, Delport P, De Meester P, Mulier JC. The mechanical characteristics of cancellous bone at the upper femoral region. J Biomech. 1983;16(12):971-983.
1991	Vesterby A, Mosekilde L, Gundersen HJG, Melsen F, Mosekilde L, Holme K, Sørensen S. Biologically meaningful determinants of the in vitro strength of lumbar vertebrae. Bone. 1991;12(3):219-224.
1988	Biggemann M, Hilweg D, Brinckmann P. Prediction of the compressive strength of vertebral bodies of the lumbar spine by quantitative computed tomography. Skel Radiol. June 1988;17(4):264-269.

Cited By (15)

Year	Entry
2002	Banse X. When density fails to predict bone strength. Acta Orthop Scand. 2002;73(2)(suppl 303):2-57.
1999	Genant HK, Gordon C, Jiang Y, Lang TF, Link TM, Majumdar S. Advanced imaging of bone macro and micro structure. Bone. July 1999;25(1):149-152.
2001	Banse X, Devogelaer JP, Munting E, Delloye C, Cornu O, Grynpas M. Inhomogeneity of human vertebral cancellous bone: systematic density and structure patterns inside the vertebral body. Bone. 2001;28(5):563-571.
2002	Thomsen JS, Ebbesen EN, Mosekilde L. Predicting human vertebral bone strength by vertebral static histomorphometry. Bone. March 2002;30(3):502-508.
2005	Lai YM, Qin L, Yeung HY, Lee KKH, Chan KM. Regional differences in trabecular BMD and micro-architecture of weight-bearing bone under habitual gait loading: a pQCT and microCT study in human cadavers. Bone. 2005;37(2):274-282.
2000	Dempster DW. The contribution of trabecular architecture to cancellous bone quality. J Bone Miner Res. January 2000;15(1):20-23.
2003	Jiang Y, Zhao JJ, Mitlak BH, Wang O, Genant HK, Eriksen EF. Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1–34) [teriparatide] improves both cortical and cancellous bone structure. J Bone Miner Res. November 2003;18(11):1932-1941.
2000	Pothuaud L, Porion P, Lespessailles E, Benhamou CL, Levitz P. A new method for three-dimensional skeleton graph analysis of porous media: application to trabecular bone microarchitecture. J Microsc (Oxford). August 2000;199(pt 2):149-161.
2003	Wang X, Ni Q. Determination of cortical bone porosity and pore size distribution using a low field pulsed NMR approach. J Orthop Res. March 2003;21(2):312-319.
2013	Hussein Ali AI. 3-D Visualization and Prediction of Spine Fractures Under Axial Loading [PhD thesis]. Boston University; 2013.
2008	Crookshank MCM. Optimizing Fracture Management: Correlating the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bone to Computed Tomography to Generate an Estimate of Bone Quality [Master's thesis]. Queen's University; January 2008.
2011	Wolfram U. Mechanical Multiscale Characterisation of Vertebral Trabecular Bone for the Prediction of Vertebral Fracture Risk [PhD thesis]. University of Ulm; 2011.
2020	Olufemi MMH. DXA Image Based Deep Learning of Elastic Modulus of Human Trabcular Bone in Proximal Femur [Master's thesis]. San Antionio, TX: University of Texas at San Antonio; May 2020.
2022	Xiao P. Medical Image-Based AI Techniques in Prediction of Trabecular Bone Microarchitecture and Mechanical Properties [PhD thesis]. San Antionio, TX: University of Texas at San Antonio; December 2022.
2009	García-Rodríguez S. Mechanical Behavior of Trabecular Bone [PhD thesis]. University of Wisconsin – Madison; 2009.