The Physical Measurement of Bone

A book of this nature is long overdue; as could be expected from the pedigree of the editors, the coverage is comprehensive and, thanks to the authors selected, is of high quality. The book is divided into five sections, the central three of which are concerned with the measurement techniques themselves... The invasive techniques of mechanical testing and bone histology are dealt with in great detail at a level suitable for postgraduate students looking for an introduction to these techniques at a practical level... this is an excellent and encyclopaedic book which any individual or department concerned with bone measurement, or wishing to extend their knowledge of the field, should have on their bookshelf. --J H Truscott, in Phys. Med. Biol. 49 (7 May 2004) 1833 I was impressed that there was enough known about bone measurement to fill over 600 pages. The book is short on history but strong on physical measurement of bone The book has 18 chapters in 4 sections with a total of 22 authors. Chapter 1 is on anatomy, physiology, and diseases of bone (with a heavy emphasis on osteoporosis). Chapter 2 on biological safety is twice as long as Chapter 3 on radiation safety. It was a pleasure to read a chapter on radiation safety without seeing any mention of risk The book describes in detail the following physical techniques to study bone in vivo: absorptiometry with radionuclide and x-ray sources; computed tomography (quantitative-QCT and peripheral- pQCT); radiogrammetry and in vivo activation analysis; magnetic resonance imaging; quantitative ultrasound; and vibration analysis. In vitro techniques include a description of (mu)CT of bone specimens, which show the beautiful detail oftrabecular bone from a tabletop instrument. Many chapters have over 100 references... For practical purposes the text has no competition. This book is a very thorough coverage of measurement of bones If you are doing research involving any measurement of bone it will be a valuable reference. -- J Cameron in Med. Phys. 31(6), June 2004