Applications of synchrotron microtomography in osteoporosis research

Synchrotron microtomography enables us to visualize trabecular bone microarchitecture in three-dimensions with a spatial resolution of a few microns. With recent developments in finite element modeling, it is possible to incorporate these images voxel by voxel into a finite-element model of the elastic properties of the bone. The ability to calculate mechanical behavior from three-dimensional images will help us to understand the relationships between bone structure and properties.