Effect of micro-computed tomography voxel size and segmentation method on trabecular bone microstructure measures in mice.
Effect of micro-computed tomography voxel size and segmentation method on trabecular bone microstructure measures in mice.
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DOI：
10.1016/j.bonr.2016.05.006
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发表时间：
2016-12-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.5
通讯作者：
Christiansen, Blaine A
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Christiansen, Blaine A
微计算机断层扫描（muCT）目前是确定小动物模型中骨小梁微观结构的金标准。与muCT扫描的扫描和评价相关的许多参数可强烈影响从骨样本获得的形态学结果。然而，这些参数对特定松质骨结局的影响还不清楚。本研究调查了标称体素尺寸在6- 30 μ m之间的muCT扫描对小鼠椎体松质骨中量化的松质骨结局的影响。此外，还比较了两种用于确定全局分割阈值的方法：基于2D图像的定性评估或基于图像直方图的定量评估。结果发现，标称体素大小对几个常见的骨小梁参数，特别是连接密度，骨小梁厚度和骨组织矿物质密度有很大的影响。此外，两种分割方法为标称体素尺寸较小的扫描提供了相似的骨小梁结果，但为体素尺寸较大的扫描提供了显著不同的结果。QualifySelected分割方法在不同体素尺寸上更一致地估计了骨小梁体积分数（BV/TV）和骨小梁厚度，但直方图分割方法更一致地估计了骨小梁数量、骨小梁分离和结构模型指数。总之，这些结果表明，高分辨率扫描应尽可能提供最准确的骨小梁显微结构的估计，并应考虑到准确确定骨小梁结果的局限性时，选择扫描参数，并在小动物骨小梁显微结构研究中得出组间方差或组间差异的结论。
Micro-computed tomography (muCT) is currently the gold standard for determining trabecular bone microstructure in small animal models. Numerous parameters associated with scanning and evaluation of muCT scans can strongly affect morphologic results obtained from bone samples. However, the effect of these parameters on specific trabecular bone outcomes is not well understood. This study investigated the effect of muCT scanning with nominal voxel sizes between 6-30mum on trabecular bone outcomes quantified in mouse vertebral body trabecular bone. Additionally, two methods for determining a global segmentation threshold were compared: based on qualitative assessment of 2D images, or based on quantitative assessment of image histograms. It was found that nominal voxel size had a strong effect on several commonly reported trabecular bone parameters, in particular connectivity density, trabecular thickness, and bone tissue mineral density. Additionally, the two segmentation methods provided similar trabecular bone outcomes for scans with small nominal voxel sizes, but considerably different outcomes for scans with larger voxel sizes. The Qualitatively Selected segmentation method more consistently estimated trabecular bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and trabecular thickness across different voxel sizes, but the Histogram segmentation method more consistently estimated trabecular number, trabecular separation, and structure model index. Altogether, these results suggest that high-resolution scans be used whenever possible to provide the most accurate estimation of trabecular bone microstructure, and that the limitations of accurately determining trabecular bone outcomes should be considered when selecting scan parameters and making conclusions about inter-group variance or between-group differences in studies of trabecular bone microstructure in small animals.