From MMGWiki
Osteoporosis is a disease that leads to skeletal fragility, and can lead to severe fractures. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 55 percent of people aged 50 and over suffer from Osteoporosis. The current common methods for evaluating fracture risk only look at amount of bone, and do not assess bone quality. Our research involves a multi-level approach for evaluating bone quality. At the highest level, we are looking at the structure and organization of the bone. Current projects include studies on the femoral neck of patients who have undergone hip replacements. These bones are imaged using a Skyscan 1172 MicroCT, which yields full three-dimensional structural information. These scans are then analyzed using a variety of statistical methods to determine variation of porosity and elements of structure, including orientation and statistical dimensions of different structures within the femoral neck.
