Comparison of the Internal Structures of Bones by Microtomography

Abstract

The use of computed microtomography (μCT) has revolutionized many areas of research, such as noninvasive, fast and high precision techniques, which allows immediate visualization of internal structures without any risk to the object of study. μCT is widely accepted for medical diagnostics, is also important for purposes of zoological research and paleontological. In this work, we used the μCT to investigate the internal structure of bones from mammalian and poultry. We studied the bones of rats and quail. Through microtomography images, we observed that the bones of the poultry have a bony structure in the form of a trellis that is not present in bones of mammals. These trellises bony is an evolutionary adaptation that allowed the bones of the birds to become longer and lighter maintaining its strength. It was also observed that the percentage of the trabecular area in poultry is almost half of that observed in mammals. The results obtained validate the use of μCT as a technique that allows the study of bone structures in small samples, enabling to explore the morphological differences between the bones of those species.