Current technologies in the evaluation of bone architecture.

In the context of osteoporosis, bone quality (which encompasses trabecular bone and cortical bone architecture), bone mineralization, turnover, and microdamage are all important, as are bone density and total content. Noninvasive assessment of bone quality has recently received considerable attention because bone density alone is not a surrogate for fracture prevalence and occurrence, and does not completely explain the therapeutic efficacy of emerging treatments. This paper focuses on the assessment of trabecular bone architecture, one of the factors that governs bone strength and may be categorized as a contributor to bone quality. The methodologies described include micro-computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computerized analysis of radiographic patterns of trabecular bone.