A CCD-based high resolution CT system for analysis of trabecular bone tissue

This paper illustrates the effectiveness of a new multi-slice CT system to study the trabecular bone tissue. The system is capable of acquiring 3D images of 5600/spl times/5600/spl times/52 voxels on specimens up to 130 mm with a spatial resolution of 22.5 micrometers. This new detector is coupled to a CCD intensified camera (EBCCD) and was patented by the University of Bologna. The CT acquisitions were performed with an experimental setup at Elettra facilities at beamline SYRMEP. The reconstructed images were sections containing the femoral head, femoral neck and trochantere. The used spatial resolution allows to visualize also thin trabeculae, which typically lie in a range below 100 microns. The morphometric trabecular characterization parameters as BV/TV, Tb.Th, Tb.Sp, Tb.N were calculated over three regions of interest. The local variations in trabecular and cortical structure of the examined bone are clearly visible at a level not obtainable with medical CT scanners. The quality of the reconstructed cross sections images confirm that this investigation technique is an advanced tool for high resolution three-dimensional imaging of bone structure.