Microcomputed Tomography Applications in Bone and Mineral Research

Abstract

Microcomputed tomography (μCT) has evolved as a development of simple X-ray imaging into an indispensable technique used in both laboratory research and clinical diagnostics. Commercially available systems are capable of creating images at sub-micrometer resolutions to map out the complex web of trabecular bone in small animals, and offer an accurate measurement of bone mineral density for patients at risk of osteoporotic fractures. This review describes the development of μCT, its ability to analyze bone, and how it can be used alongside other clinical and laboratory techniques. μCT offers a non-destructive alternative for imaging mineralized tissues with no required preparation and can also be utilized with living specimen to track skeletal development.