TY - JOUR
T1 - THE EFFECT OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY CURRENT REDUCTION ON PROXIMAL FEMUR SUBJECT-SPECIFIC FINITE ELEMENT MODELS
AU - FALCINELLI, CRISTINA
AU - SCHILEO, ENRICO
AU - BARUFFALDI, FABIO
AU - CRISTOFOLINI, LUCA
AU - TADDEI, FULVIA
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Many studies have addressed the modulation of computed tomography (CT) parameters, and particularly of tube current, to obtain a good compromise between the X-ray dose to the patient and the image quality for diagnostic applications. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of dose reduction by means of tube current reduction on the CT-based subject-specific finite element (FE) modeling. To this aim, CT scans at stepwise reduced values of tube current from 180(Formula presented.)mAs to 80(Formula presented.)mAs were performed on: (i) a densitometric phantom, to quantify the changes in the calibration equation; (ii) a fresh-frozen, water submersed, human cadaver femur, to quantify changes in geometry reconstruction and material mapping from CT, as well as strain prediction accuracy, based on the in vitro strain measurements available; (iii) a fresh-frozen human cadaver thigh with soft tissues attached, to quantify FE results changes in conditions similar to those found in vivo. The results showed that the tube current reduction does not affect the 3D modeling and the femur FE analysis. Our pilot study highlights the possibility of performing CT scans with reduced dose to generate biomechanical models, although a confirmation by performing larger studies with clinical CT data is needed.
AB - Many studies have addressed the modulation of computed tomography (CT) parameters, and particularly of tube current, to obtain a good compromise between the X-ray dose to the patient and the image quality for diagnostic applications. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of dose reduction by means of tube current reduction on the CT-based subject-specific finite element (FE) modeling. To this aim, CT scans at stepwise reduced values of tube current from 180(Formula presented.)mAs to 80(Formula presented.)mAs were performed on: (i) a densitometric phantom, to quantify the changes in the calibration equation; (ii) a fresh-frozen, water submersed, human cadaver femur, to quantify changes in geometry reconstruction and material mapping from CT, as well as strain prediction accuracy, based on the in vitro strain measurements available; (iii) a fresh-frozen human cadaver thigh with soft tissues attached, to quantify FE results changes in conditions similar to those found in vivo. The results showed that the tube current reduction does not affect the 3D modeling and the femur FE analysis. Our pilot study highlights the possibility of performing CT scans with reduced dose to generate biomechanical models, although a confirmation by performing larger studies with clinical CT data is needed.
KW - computed tomography
KW - Finite element modeling
KW - human femur
KW - image quality
KW - mAs reduction
KW - patient dose
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U2 - 10.1142/S0219519417500129
DO - 10.1142/S0219519417500129
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84964031075
JO - Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology
JF - Journal of Mechanics in Medicine and Biology
SN - 0219-5194
ER -