NEW APPLICATIONS OF STRUCTURE-ANALYSIS OF BONE BIOPSIES IN MICROCOMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

The combined histological and microcomputed analysis of human iliac cr est biopsies leads to major advances in our understanding of three-dim ensional bone architecture. Microcomputed tomography avoids the time-c onsuming reconstruction and artifacts of serial sections. Furthermore, its high resolution allows the recording of structural differences as low as 10 mu m. Thus, three-dimensional analysis in combination with histological evaluation of cellular dynamics facilitates earlier and e asier recording of changes of cancellous bone.