Bone mass determination from microradiographs by computer-assisted videodensitometry. II. Aluminium as a reference substance.

Aluminium was evaluated as a reference substance in the assessment of rabbit cortical bone by microradiography followed by videodensitometry. Ten dense, cortical-bone specimens from the same tibia diaphysis were microradiographed using prefiltered 27 kV roentgen radiation together with aluminium step wedges and bone simulating phantoms for calibration. Optimally exposed and processed plates were analysed by previously described computer-assisted videodensitometry. For comparison, the specimens were analysed by physico-chemical methods. A strict proportionality was found between the 'aluminium equivalent mass' and the ash weight of the specimens. The total random error was low with a coefficient of variation within 1.5 per cent. It was concluded that aluminium is an appropriate reference material in the determination of cortical bone, which it resembles in effective atomic number and thus x-ray attenuation characteristics. The 'aluminium equivalent mass' is suitably established as the standard of expressing the results of bone assessment by microradiography.