Open AccessMass Density Measurement of Mineralized Tissue with Grating-Based X-Ray Phase Tomography
Author(s) -
Regine Gradl,
Irène Zanette,
Maite Ruiz-Yaniz,
Martin Dierolf,
Alexander Rack,
Paul Zaslansky,
Franz Pfeiffer
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0167797
Subject(s) - mineralized tissues , x ray microtomography , tomography , materials science , x ray , biomedical engineering , phase (matter) , bone density , mineralogy , chemistry , optics , composite material , pathology , dentin , medicine , osteoporosis , physics , organic chemistry
Establishing the mineral content distribution in highly mineralized tissues, such as bones and teeth, is fundamental in understanding a variety of structural questions ranging from studies of the mechanical properties to improved pathological investigations. However, non-destructive, volumetric and quantitative density measurements of mineralized samples, some of which may extend several mm in size, remain challenging. Here, we demonstrate the potential of grating-based x-ray phase tomography to gain insight into the three-dimensional mass density distribution of tooth tissues in a non-destructive way and with a sensitivity of 85 mg/cm 3 . Density gradients of 13 − 19% over 1 − 2 mm within typical samples are detected, and local variations in density of 0.4 g/cm 3 on a length scale of 0.1 mm are revealed. This method proves to be an excellent quantitative tool for investigations of subtle differences in mineral content of mineralized tissues that can change following treatment or during ageing and healing.