From histology to micro-CT: Measuring and modeling resorption cavities and their relation to bone competence

Core Tip

Core tip: Osteoclasts create bone deficits by eroding resorption cavities. Understanding how these cavities impair the mechanical quality of the bone is relevant in both in healthy bone and in metabolic bone diseases. However, the current knowledge of their dimensions and effect on bone competence remains limited. Until recently cavity dimensions were estimated from two-dimensional measures (histology), hence, careful interpretation was necessary. With new imaging techniques quantifying resorption cavities in three-dimensional becomes feasible. Computational models have shown that resorption cavities affect bone competence. The use of high-resolution representations and parametric descriptions could improve the quantitative fidelity of these models.