Non-Destructive Structural Assay Using X-Ray Micro-Tomography to Estimate Mass Density Differences in Rabbit Bone Samples.

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Pérez, P.; Malano, F.; Dedossi, G.; Fernández Bodereau E.; Figueroa, R.; Santibañez, M.; Vedelago, J. & Valente, M.

Summary

When performing studies on bone samples aiming at analyzing its physical characteristics such as hardness, density and health, typically it is used to utilize different equipment for the quantification of electron density, which results proportional to mass density, which is directly related to bone mineral density. The test known as bone densitometry is usually done using X-ray equipment, ultrasound or through the utilization of radioactive isotopes. This analysis quantifies the amount of mineral bone on a surface and is usually implemented to assess, among others, risks of fractures or the osteoporosis state in a patient. The computed tomography technique uses two-dimensional X-ray images and tomographic reconstruction methods implemented on computational algorithms to obtain information about the internal structure of an object in a nondestructively way. Specially developed equipment able to obtain images with sub-millimeter resolution, results in the technique known as micro-tomography. The ability to study bone structures at sub-millimeter levels and obtain three-dimensional morphological images with electron density information, presents an important option for specific studies on bone growth and studies on new components that allow the growth of damaged tissues. In this paper rabbits cranium bone samples where certain areas have been damaged and have been filled with different substances specially designed to evaluate repair responses on bone tissue are analyzed. The analysis is performed in order to study the performance of the micro-tomography technique developed in the laboratory in order to observe its potentiality in this type of studies and the ability of these analysis in the characterization of the physical properties of such samples.

KEY WORDS: X-ray imaging; Micro-tomography; Oseous samples; Densitometry.

How to cite this article

PÉREZ, P.; MALANO, F. ; DEDOSSI, G.; FERNÁNDEZ-BODEREAU E.; FIGUEROA, R.; SANTIBAÑEZ, M.; VEDELAGO, J. & VALENTE, M. Non-Destructive Structural Assay Using X-Ray Micro-Tomography to Estimate Mass Density Differences in Rabbit Bone Samples. Int. J. Morphol., 34(4):1232-1238, 2016.