Modified method of spinal computed tomography for trabecular bone mineral measurements.

Quantitative CT of vertebral trabecular bone is established as a sensitive technique for assessing bone mineral mass in the axial skeleton. We have adapted this technique for use in a standard third generation whole body CT scanner without requiring any extra equipment or software. By utilizing a maximum area of interest in the vertebral trabecular bone, we have developed a method of bone mineral content estimation that is precise, accurate, and a more representative measurement of the vertebral trabecular bone. Measurements in 70 healthy postmenopausal women have shown that our results compare favourably with those from other centres. Our findings demonstrate that the technique of quantitative CT of bone can be adapted for advanced CT scanners without any modifications being required. This should lead to an increase in availability of such measurements, resulting in improvements both in the diagnosis of metabolic bone diseases and in the efficacy of treatment.