Micro Photonics Inc.

Micro-CT has become a standardized tool in the field of preclinical orthopedic research for nondestructive analysis of small animal bones (mice, rats, rabbits) as well as metal implants and synthetic materials such as bone-like cements and scaffolds. An orthopedic implant can be described as any medical devices used to replace or provide fixation of bone or to replace articulating surfaces of a joint. Bone is a living tissue, when broken, it will naturally initiate the mending process but depending on the type of fracture, requires that the bone be steadily held in place. One of the ways this is achieved is by inserting a metal pin or rod into the medullary cavity (inner part of the long bone). A common experimental applications in the orthopedic field is to examine the contact and integration of bone around a metallic implant. 

 

In this example we have a titanium implant in a rat femur. The specimen was scanned on the SkyScan 1173 at 6.4 micron pixel size at 70kV and a 1.0mm aluminum filter using a 0.2 rotation step.