ABSTRACT
Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone strength and increased fracture risk. The most serious consequence of osteoporosis is fracture, which commonly occurs in vertebrae. Accurate assessment of fracture risk at an earlier stage is the key to identify high-risk population and further prevent osteoporotic fracture. Currently, clinical assessment of vertebral fracture risk mainly relies on measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) based on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry ( DXA) or quantitative computed tomography ( QCT). However, they cannot fully reflect bone strength and resistance to fracture, and it is hard to achieve an accurate assessment. Biomechanical CT (BCT) technology, based on CT digital modeling and finite element analysis, aims at non-invasive calculation of individual bone strength, bridging the gap between biomechanics and clinical evaluation of fracture risk. In vitro mechanical experiment of vertebrae has proved that BCT is more accurate than BMD in evaluating vertebral fracture strength. Clinical studies have also shown that BCT is superior to DXA inidentifying existing fractures and predicting new fractures. In this article, the implementation process of the BCT technology was introduced, as well as critical parameters during each step affecting its result . The research progress of the BCT technique for in vitro validation and in vivo assessment of vertebral fracture risk was also summarized, with the aim to promote the application of BCT technology in clinical assessment of vertebral fracture risk for the Chinese people.
