Evaluation of laser-Doppler perfusion imaging for measurement of blood flow in
cortical bone.
Shymkiw, Roxane C., Ronald F. Zernicke, Kevin R. Forrester, and Robert C. Bray.
1McCaig Centre for Joint Injury and Arthritis Research, and Departments of
2Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, 3Surgery, and 4Kinesiology, University of
Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1
APStracts 7:0054A, 2000.
Most techniques currently available to measure blood flow in bone are time consuming
and require destruction of the tissue, but laser-Doppler technology offers a less invasive
method. This study assessed the utility of laser-Doppler perfusion imaging (LDI) to
measure perfusion in cortical bone. Twelve mature New Zealand White rabbits were
assigned to one of three groups: normal control, constriction (norepinephrine), or
dilatation (nitroprusside). The left and right medial tibiae were consecutively scanned at
red (634 nm) and near-infrared (810 nm) wavelengths to examine the repeatability of LDI
output. The pharmacological intervention groups were injected with the respective drug
and LDI measurements at 810 nm were obtained concurrently with colored microsphere-
determined flow in all of the groups. LDI effectively quantified blood flow in cortical
bone and detected physiologically induced changes in perfusion. A significant positive
correlation was found between microsphere-determined flow and LDI output (r = 0.6, P
< 0.05). Repeatability of consecutive LDI measurements was within 5%. The
effectiveness of LDI to measure perfusion in bone suggests this method has potential for
investigating the role of blood flow in bone metabolism and remodeling.
Received 9 June 2000; accepted in final form 26 October 2000
APS Manuscript Number A758-0.
Article publication pending J Appl Physiol
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 2000 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 29 January 2001