ISSN:
1432-0827
Keywords:
Key words: Fracture healing — Callus — Quantitative tomography — X-ray densitometry — Image analysis.
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract. Fracture healing and callus formation have traditionally been evaluated by using X-ray radiography. Here we compared X-ray radiography and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in evaluating the healing callus of standardized tibial fractures in 141 female rats after a 4- or 8-week follow-up. The results were compared with the tensile (4-week) and compressive (8-week) failure load of the callus. The projectional size of callus, as defined from lateral ex vivo radiographs, correlated significantly with the pQCT-defined cross-sectional area (CSA) of mid-callus. This relationship was dependent on the pQCT attenuation threshold, being higher for the CSA of compact bone (r = 0.85, P 〈 0.0001) than for the total bone CSA (r = 0.68, P 〈 0.0001). Radiographically defined callus projectional area also correlated strongly with bone mineral content (BMC) (r = 0.84–0.86, P 〈 0.0001). The mean optical density of the callus analyzed from the radiographs had only a weak correlation with the pQCT-defined bone mineral density (BMD) of callus. A weak negative relationship was found between CSA and BMD. The optical density analyzed from lateral radiographs did not correlate with the tensile or compressive failure load of callus. Callus size, BMC, and BMD were associated with the compressive failure load, whereas both radiographs and pQCT were poor in explaining the failure load in tension.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002230010058
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