Abstract: Objective To obtain anatomical data of radius in New Zealand white rabbits with different age by three-dimensional reconstruction technique of CT images and provide references for rabbit bone defect experiment and bone tissue engineering scaffold manufacture. Methods Forty male New Zealand white rabbits aged 3 months and 6 months were included respectively in this study. According to their age, the rabbits were divided into group A (3 month) and group B (6 month). Computed tomography(CT) scanning of bilateral radius was conducted and the contours of 3D-reconstructed radius were observed by Mimics l0.0, the anatomical parameters including the length of radius, transverse diameters and sagittal diameters of middle of radius, front curvature angleandlateral curvature angle were measured respectively. Results The contours of radius were bulky at ends, narrow in the middle. The obvious camber was observed in radial middle, and the mean front curvature were (24.19±1.18)° in group A and (23.97±1.35)°in group B, and the lateral curvature angles were (26.13±1.04)°in group A and (25.66±1.23)°in group B respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The straight and curvilinear length of radius were (63.05±1.33) mm and (65.03±1.10) mm in group A, and (66.56±1.53) mm and (70.41±1.06) mm in group B respectively, with no significant difference (P<0.05). The transverse diameters of the middle of radius were (4.24±0.19) mm in group A and (4.30±0.23) mm in group B. The sagittal diameters of the middle of radius were (3.23±0.16) mm in group A and (3.29±0.18) mm in group B respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to sagittal diameters (P>0.05). And the transverse diameters and the sagittal diameters of the middle of radius were not correlated with length of radius (P>0.05). Conclusions It is feasible to accurately identify the contours and bony landmarks on the three-dimensional reconstruction of the radius. Digital measurement can provide accurate parameters for establishment of bone defect model and manufacture of bone-tissue engineering scaffold.

Key words: Digitalization, Three-dimensional reconstruction, New Zealand white rabbits, Radius