Micro-CT analyses of historical bone samples presenting with osteomyelitis

C Lamm, Martin Dockner, B Pospischek, Eduard Winter, B Patzak, M. L. Pretterklieber, Gerhard Weber, Peter Pietschmann

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

Objective: Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the bone marrow mainly caused by bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. It typically affects long bones, e.g. femora, tibiae and humeri. Recently micro-computed tomography (μCT) techniques offer the opportunity to investigate bone micro-architecture in great detail. Since there is no information on long bone microstructure in osteomyelitis, we studied historic bone samples with osteomyelitis by μCT. Materials and methods: We investigated 23 femora of 22 individuals suffering from osteomyelitis provided by the Collection of Anatomical Pathology, Museum of Natural History, Vienna (average age 44 ±19 years); 9 femora from body donors made available by the Department of Applied Anatomy, Medical University of Vienna (age range, 56–102 years) were studied as controls. Bone microstructure was assessed by μCT VISCOM X 8060 II with a minimal resolution of 18 μm. Results: In the osteomyelitic femora, most prominent alterations were seen in the cortical compartment. In 71.4 % of the individuals with osteomyelitis, cortical porosity occurred. 57.1 % of the individuals showed cortical thinning. In 42.9 % trabecularisation of cortical bone was observed. Conclusion: Osteomyelitis is associated with severe alterations of cortical bone structure otherwise typically observed at old age such as cortical porosity and cortical thinning.

Original languageEnglish
Article number44
Pages (from-to)1507-1514
Number of pages8
JournalSkeletal Radiology
Volume44
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2015

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 106018 Human biology

Keywords

  • Osteomyelitis
  • Micro-computed tomography (μCT)
  • Cortical porosity
  • Bone micro-architecture
  • POROSITY
  • DIAGNOSIS
  • Micro-computed tomography (mu CT)
  • AGE

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