high-resolution, peripheral, quantitative computed tomography scanner - in vivo MicroCT Scanner

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 428827466

The high-resolution, peripheral, quantitative computed tomography scanner applied for by will help to answer clinical and basic science questions in osteology, biomechanics and orthopedics through a multidisciplinary application. The focus of the first project is on the diagnosis and investigation of bone diseases with mineralization defect that causes a reduced mechanical capacity of the bone, leading to a high fracture risk. The aim of this project is to use virtual bone biopsies at very high resolution as a new diagnostic tool instead of the interventional tissue sample. Focus of the second part are mineral crystals in the joint’s cartilage, which are associated with the severity of joint arthritis, lacking methods for early diagnosis. The aim of this project is to predict the progression of joint arthrosis and the necessity of joint replacement by means of high-resolution peripheral, quantitative computer tomography that allows for identifying and characterizing mineralized crystal formations in the joint cartilage of arthritic joints. The third project concentrates on vertebral body fractures, causing pain and increasing morbidity. These fractures are still one of the most common fractures in osteoporosis and their mechanisms are still not fully understood. The aim of this project is to relate the failure mechanisms of vertebral bodies more closely to the context of their structure and bone material quality. A finite element method-based simulation will be used to separate bone structure and material properties and subsequently consolidate these results.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hochauflösender in vivo MicroCT-Scanner
• Instrumentation Group: 3230 Tomographie- und Schichtgeräte (Röntgen-)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Michael Amling