Trabecular bone and its evaluation through images.

Abstract

This article describes the physiological importance of trabecular bone and the close association between its function and structure. The available technologies that provide high quality images required for medical diagnosis are compared: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), Infrared spectroscopy and analysis of spectra through the Fourier Transform (FT IR), high resolution Nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MRI), Multislice computed tomography (MSCT), X-ray microtomography (μCT), Solic state Nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR), Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), Synchrotron radiation computed tomography (SR-CT), scanning electron microscope (SEM). Details are given for the assessment of vertebral trabecular bone through the Trabecular bone score (TBS) define by analysis of DXA images.