APPLICATION OF LABORATORY MICROTOMOGRAPHY TO THE STUDY OF MINERALIZEDTISSUES

The principles of microtomography are briefly presented and recent stu dies of mineralised tissues using laboratory and synchrotron X-ray sou rces are reviewed. Results are given of investigations undertaken with laboratory systems using either a 1st generation (single beam of 15 m u m and energy dispersive detector) or a novel 4th generation system w ith 2-D detector that can provide 3-D images with voxels of 38 x 38 x 38 mu m(3) of specimens with diameter up to 40 mm. Studies include min eral concentration distributions in cortical bone, trabecular structur e in a human vertebral body, cracking of bone under compression in sit u, and root canal obturation and Er:YAG laser application to enamel an d dentine. Future applications of microtomography to the study of mine ralised tissues and their interaction with biomaterials are discussed.