Revealing multiscale architecture of the intact human spine using hierarchical phase contrast tomography

Hierarchical phase-contrast tomography (HiP-CT) visualized macro- to micron-scale microarchitecture of an intact adult human spine ex vivo, including focal L4-L5 annulus disruption.

• Why it matters: Clinical CT and MRI cannot directly resolve tissue microarchitecture and interfaces at millimeter-to-micron scales, limiting anatomical assessment of spinal microanatomy.
• What they did: A formalin-fixed C1–L5 spine from a 62-year-old male donor was imaged at 16.26 m isotropic voxels, with selected regions at 2.2 m voxels, plus ex vivo MRI for comparison.
• The result: HiP-CT enabled segmentation and quantitative analyses of IVD grading, annulus fibrosus fiber organization, and vertebral trabecular micro-morphometry, detecting focal posterolateral fiber disruption at L4-L5 and cervical–lumbar trabecular differences.