A comparison, using X-ray micro-computed tomography, of the architecture of cancellous bone from the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine using 240 vertebral bodies from 10 body donors

Schröder, Guido; Jabke, Benjamin; Schulze, Marko; Wree, Andreas; Martin, Heiner; Sahmel, Olga; Doerell, Alexandra; Kullen, Claus Maximilian; Andresen, Reimer; Schober, Hans-Christof

Affiliations

¹Clinic for Surgery, Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Buetzow

²Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical School Rostock, Rostock

³Institute of Anatomy, University Medical School Rostock, Rostock

⁴Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Rostock, Rostock-Warnemuende

⁵Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden

⁶Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology/Neuroradiology, Westkuestenklinikum Heide, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Universities of Kiel, Luebeck and Hamburg, Heide

⁷Department of Internal Medicine IV, Municipal Hospital Suedstadt Rostock, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

Abstract and keywords

The vertebral trabecular bone has a complex three-dimensional microstructure with an inhomogeneous morphology. Correct identification and assessment of the weakest segments of the cancellous bone may lead to better prediction of fracture risk. The aim of this study was to compare cancellous bone from 240 vertebrae of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine of ten body donors with osteoporosis in regard to bone volume fraction (BVF), trabecular thickness, separation, trabecular number and degree of anisotropy, to ascertain why cervical vertebrae rarely fracture, even with severe osteoporosis. Samples were obtained from all vertebrae with a Jamshidi needle (8 Gauge). The investigations were performed with a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) device (SKYSCAN 1172, RJL Micro & Analytic GmbH, Karlsdorf-Neuthard, Germany). Existing vertebral fractures and the bone mineral density of the lumbar spine were assessed with quantitative CT. Regarding the micro-CT parameters, statistically significant differences were observed between the various sections of the spine. We found a higher BVF, trabecular number and trabecular thickness, as well as a lower trabecular separation of the cervical vertebrae compared to other vertebrae. In addition, the degree of anisotropy in the cervical spine is lower than in the other spinal column sections. These results are age and sex dependent. Thus, the cervical spine has special structural features, whose causes must be determined in further investigations.

Keywords: Osteoporosis; Aging; X-ray microtomography; Spine

Links

DOI: 10.5115/acb.20.269

PubMed: 33583827

WoS: 000635145600004

History

Received: 2020-10-12

Revised: 2020-12-06

Accepted: 2020-12-07

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