New imaging technology may detect early osteoarthritis, osteoporosis

At the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Annual Meeting, Wojciech B. Zbijewski, PhD, a medical physicist and instructor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, discussed advances in bone imaging technology that could assist in the detection of early osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.

The technology involves a specialized cone beam CT system that uses complementary metal-oxide semiconductor detectors. Zbijewski said the system can potentially provide high-resolution imaging of “the very fine infrastructure of human bone” and is a new generation of high-resolution X-ray. Zbijewski added change in the trabecular bone is particularly implicated in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. A high frame-per-second read-out rate, according to Zbijewski, will reduce image loss from patient movement.

He said currently available technology is limited to laboratory studies, with very specific equipment to examine animals and humans. His team is working on implementing the technology into clinical studies within 2 years to 3 years.

“We are hoping that with our technology we will be able to translate those results from the laboratory studies to patient studies and, in this way, help in the diagnosis and development of new treatments,” Zbijewski said.

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