Degree of Bone Mineralization in the Ultra Distal Radius as a Function of Type and Location

+Wagner, D W; Lindsey, D P; Beaupre, G S Bone & Joint Center of Excellence, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304 [email protected] INTRODUCTION: The degree of mineralization of bone (DMB) is a metric that has been used to non-destructively quantify the distribution of mineral density using micro-computed tomography (microCT). Small increases in the average DMB value have been shown to correlate with substantial increases in experimentally derived bone fracture strength [1]. However, the role of mineral heterogeneity remains ambiguous as both increases and decreases in heterogeneity have been associated with reduced fracture strength [1]. One potential reason may be attributed to a lack of understanding related to the customary mineral heterogeneity of typical cortical and trabecular bone tissue. Although the peripheral radius site has received increased attention with the introduction of micro-level imaging technology for clinical use, the DMB has not been well studied for the distal radius. The purpose of this study is to quantify the DMB distributions of the distal radius and identify trends related to proximal/distal location and trabecular/cortical bone sub-regions.