The technique of<unk>  allows the histomorphometric analysis of the bone samples obtained from the iliac crest. Therefore, it can provide a direct assessment of regional bone metabolism. Hence, the reason why this method is considered the gold-standard technique for measuring bone remodelling. Patients undergo double tetracycline labelling, and then samples of bone are collected using trephine under local anesthetic from the iliac crest as it is the only readily accessible site for<unk> . This technique is subject to large measurement errors; it is complex and costly to perform and is invasive, meaning that it is painful to the patients. For these reasons, a<unk>  is not readily acceptable to patients. Moreover, multiple<unk> es using double tetracycline labelling are necessary for the same patient to assess treatment response or disease progression. Another drawback is that the iliac crest may not provide a true measurement of changes in bone metabolism at the lumbar spine or hip as considerable differences in regional bone metabolism estimates are observed at different skeletal sites. Revell et al. describes the measurement of various parameters such as trabecular bone volume, osteoid volume, osteoid surface, active osteoblastic surface, resorption surface, osteoclastic resorption surface, mineralization front, osteoid index, appositional rate, and osteoclastic index via histomorphometric analysis of bone samples. If a<unk>  is to be obtained along with medical imaging examinations, as a rule,<unk>  should be done after all necessary imaging has been performed. A<unk>  can also be used to find out if cancer, or infection, or other abnormal cells are present in the bone tissue.
Bone biopsy
Bone scintigraphy
Tractography
Serum protein electrophoresis
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
Wrist arthroscopy
Muscle biopsy
PET for bone imaging