Evaluation of a prototype dual-energy computed tomographic apparatus. II. Determination of vertebral bone mineral content

Journal Article · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Med. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.595951· OSTI ID:5094384

Vetter, J R; Perman, W H; Kalender, W A; Mazess, R B; Holden, J E

A prototype dual-energy computed tomographic (CT) scanner (Siemens Somatom DR3) with rapid kVp switching and prereconstruction processing has been used to measure vertebral bone mineral density. With this approach misregistration and beam hardening inaccuracies can be reduced considerably. Basis material images of aluminum- and Lucite-equivalent density enable measurements of bone mineral density that are nearly independent of the amount of marrow fat. To simulate variable marrow fat, alcohol-water mixtures were used as media in calibration standards. A section of dried trabecular bone was also scanned immersed in varying alcohol-water mixtures. In both simulations it was shown that the dual-energy measurement is nearly independent of marrow composition whereas the single-energy measurement would be strongly influenced by marrow fat. Dual-energy CT was compared to dual-photon absorptiometry (153Gd) for the measurement of bone mineral mass of ten excised human vertebrae. There was a high degree of correlation between the two measurements (r = 0.97). Dual-energy and single-energy CT measurements on 17 patients with suspected metabolic bone disease strongly support the conclusion that the influence of fat can lead to significant errors in single-energy determinations of the mineral density of trabecular bone.

• OSTI ID: 5094384
• Journal Information: Med. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Med. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 3; ISSN MPHYA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANIMAL TISSUES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
BONE MARROW
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVALUATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GADOLINIUM 153
GADOLINIUM ISOTOPES
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
IMAGE SCANNERS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
MINERALOGY
NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE EARTH ISOTOPES
RARE EARTH NUCLEI
SKELETON
TISSUES
TOMOGRAPHY
VERTEBRAE