MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF VERTEBRAL CANCELLOUS BONE IN QUANTITATIVE-CT

The diagnostic ranking of trabecular morphology for the evaluation of osteoporosis in quantitative CT (QCT) is presented. 5 patterns of canc ellous bone correlating with trabecular density may be discerned. Howe ver, these patterns may indicate osteoporotic changes in particular ca ses only, by confluent rarefications if the density is still within th e normal range. There is neither a predictive value for the degree of spontaneous or therapy-induced bone loss, nor for therapy response. Th e trabecular appearances remain unchanged in short term even under str ong quantitative changes and are therefore of no value for follow-up.