Author/Authors :
de Bournonville, Sebastien Department of Mechanical Engineering - KU Leuven - Leuven, Belgium , Vangrunderbeeck, Sarah Department of Chemistry - KU Leuven - Leuven, Belgium , Kerckhofs, Greet Department Materials Engineering - KU Leuven - Leuven, Belgium
Abstract :
To date, the combination of histological sectioning, staining, and microscopic assessment of the 2D sections is still the golden
standard for structural and compositional analysis of biological tissues. X-ray microfocus computed tomography (microCT) is an
emerging 3D imaging technique with high potential for 3D structural analysis of biological tissues with a complex and heterogeneous 3D structure, such as the trabecular bone. However, its use has been mostly limited to mineralized tissues because of
the inherently low X-ray absorption of soft tissues. To achieve sucient X-ray attenuation, chemical compounds containing high
atomic number elements that bind to soft tissues have been recently adopted as contrast agents (CAs) for contrast-enhanced
microCT (CE-CT); this novel technique is very promising for quantitative “virtual” 3D anatomical pathology of both mineralized
and soft biological tissues. In this paper, we provided a review of the advances in CE-CT since the very first reports on the
technology to date. Perfusion CAs for in vivo imaging have not been discussed, as the focus of this review was on CAs that bind to
the tissue of interest and that are, thus, used for ex vivo imaging of biological tissues. As CE-CT has mostly been applied for the
characterization of musculoskeletal tissues, we have put specic emphasis on these tissues. Advantages and limitations of multiple
CAs for different musculoskeletal tissues have been highlighted, and their reproducibility has been discussed. Additionally, the
advantages of the “full” 3D CE-CT information have been pinpointed, and its importance for more detailed structural, spatial, and
functional characterization of the tissues of interest has been shown. Finally, the remaining challenges that are still hampering a
broader adoption of CE-CT have been highlighted, and suggestions have been made to move the field of CE-CT imaging one step
further towards a standard accepted tool for quantitative virtual 3D anatomical pathology.
Keywords :
Pathology , MicroCT , Anatomical , DNA