Simulation of bone aging and virtual reality visualization of cancellous bone structure

This paper describes a bone modeling effort and virtual reality visualization aimed towards characterizing and predicting human vertebral compression fractures with emphasis on quantifying osteoporosis and aging. A 3D model of the trabecular bone structure is constructed from a stack of muCT images of a human vertebra. Parameters for quantifying the bone are calculated for this structure from the 3D model and validated by comparing the results with values calculated from standard stereological methods. The resulting structure is then aged using biologically based computational algorithms. These structures are then visualized in a virtual reality environment enabling detailed examination of the regional microstructures to assess the potential for compression fracture formation.