Medical Imaging as a Bone Quality Determinant and Strength Indicator of the Femoral Neck

Early diagnosis of osteoporosis is a key factor in preventive medicine of this clinically silent bone pathology. The most severe manifestation of osteoporotic bone loss is encountered in hip fractures and therfore, this study represents an effort in associating bone quality of the femoral neck region to fragility fracture risks through FEA supported imaging techniques. The concepts of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computer Tomography (CT) and Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) are introduced, along with their limitations in defining bone quality and calculating the apparent bone strength. As DXA dominates surgeons’ preference in evaluating bone mineral density in the hip region, in vivo measurements of this method, sustained by ex-vivo uniaxial compression tests and FEA supported calculations are employed to determine a fracture risk indicator of the femoral neck versus bone mineral density (BMD).