3D characterization of pores in the cortical bone of human femur in the elderly at different locations as determined by synchrotron micro-computed tomography images
Osteoporosis International, 08/09/2012

Chappard C et al. – The results provide evidence for large variations in the structure of the internal pore network in cortical bone. These variations could involve different underlying remodeling mechanisms.

• The cortex from 20 human femurs (mean age, 78.3 ± 12.4 years) was taken from the diaphysis (D), the inferior (IN), and the lateral superior (LS) regions of the femoral neck.
• The voxel size of the 3D reconstructed image was 7.5 μm.
• Cortical thickness and pore volume/tissue volume (Po.V/TV), pore diameter (Po.Dm) and spacing (Po.Sp) were determined.
• The pore surface/pore volume ratio (Po.S/Po.V), the number of pores (Po.N), the degrees of anisotropy (DA), and the connectivity density (ConnD), the degree of mineralization (DMB) were also determined.

• The characteristics of the pore network in femoral cortical bone were found to be location dependent.
• There was greater porosity, Po.Dm, and Po.N, and more large (180-270 μm), extra-large (270-360 μm) and giant pores (>360 μm) in the LS compared to the IN and D.
• The difference in porosity in between the periosteal and endosteal layers was mostly due to an increase of Po.Dm rather than Po.N.
• There was a lower DMB of bone in the LS, which is consistent with a higher remodeling rate.