Assessment of the Vascular and Trabecular Microstructures Using Micro Computed Tomography, Vascular Network Perfusion, and Image Registration Techniques

Bone is a dynamic organ that constantly undergoes remodeling throughout one’s life. The remodeling process is required to repair damaged bone tissue and more importantly, to regulate calcium and phosphate homeostasis through the osteocytic network in conjunction with the microvascular network within bone marrow. Recently, techniques combining micro computed tomography (μCT) imaging with vascular network perfusion were developed to allow for 3-D visualization of the bone vascular network structure [1]. However, simultaneous visualization of the trabecular and vascular microstructures using standard μCT remains challenging, and thus the precise relationships between blood vessel formation and trabecular remodeling, as well as the impact of these relationships on metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis, remain unclear.