Assessment of the human trabecular bone structure using Minkowski functionals

Roberto Monetti, Jan Bauer, Irina Sidorenko, Dirk Müller, Ernst Rummeny, Maiko Matsuura, Felix Eckstein, Eva Maria Lochmueller, Philippe Zysset, Christoph Räth

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Osteoporosis is bone disease which leads to low bone mass and the deterioration of the bone micro-architecture. Rare.ed bone structures are more susceptible to fractures which are the worst complications of osteoporosis. Bone mineral density is considered to be the standard technique for predicting the bone strength and the e.ects of drug therapy. However, other properties of the bone like the trabecular structure and connectivity may also contribute. Here, we analyze ì-CT tomographic images for a sample of 151 specimens taken from human vertebrae in vitro. Using the local structural characterization of the bone trabecular network given by isotropic and anisotropic scaling indices, we generate structural decompositions of the ì-CT image and quantify the resulting patterns applying topological measures, namely the Minkowski Functionals (MF). The values of the MF are then used to assess the biomechanical properties of trabecular bone via a correlation analysis. Biomechanical properties were quanti.ed by the maximum compressive strength calculated in an uniaxial compression test. We compare our results with those obtained using standard global histomorphometric parameters and the bone fraction BV/TV . Results obtained using structural decompositions obtained from anisotropic scaling indices were superior to those given by isotropic scaling indices. The highest correlation coe.cient (r = 0.72) was better than those obtained for the standard global histomorphometric parameters and only comparable with the one given by BV/TV. Our results suggest that plate-like and dense column- like structures aligned along the direction of the external force play a relevant role for the prediction of bone strength.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMedical Imaging 2009
Subtitle of host publicationBiomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009
EventMedical Imaging 2009: Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging - Lake Buena Vista, FL, United States
Duration: 8 Feb 200910 Feb 2009

Publication series

NameProgress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE
Volume7262
ISSN (Print)1605-7422

Conference

ConferenceMedical Imaging 2009: Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityLake Buena Vista, FL
Period8/02/0910/02/09

Keywords

  • Bonestructure analysis
  • Minkowski functionals
  • Osteoporosis
  • Scaling index method
  • μ-CT Imaging

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