Holger Frank Boehm MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Juergen Lutz MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Markus Koerner MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Alexandra Panteleon, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Klaus Jürgen Pfeifer PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Maximilian F. Reiser MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To introduce an algorithm for quantitative assessment of the trabecular texture of the calcaneus depicted by standard radiographs using the Minkowski Functionals (MF) and to correlate the texture properties with bone mineral density (BMD) at the proximal femur. Results are compared with the results with linear texture quantities

The study comprises standard lateral xray projections of the calcaneus of 34 post-menopausal women (71.6 ± 9.5yrs) who were admitted for suspected fracture of the ankle. Femoral BMD was obtained by dual-energy xray absorptiometry (DXA) using a standard clinical fan-beam scanner. In the radiographs we analyse trabecular patterns within a circular region-of-interest with a diameter of 3cm in the posterior part of the calcaneus. Following standardized binarization and analysis of the local topological properties of the trabecular patterns we derive a texture quantity MF2D_LOC that is optimized with respect to correlation with BMD. We also derive various linear texture quantities in analogy to standard histomorphometry, i.e. “apparent total trabecular area” (TbA), “apparent trabecular separation” (TbSp) and “trabecular thickness” (TbTh).

Mean femoral BMD was 0.84 ± 0.16 g / cm². Correlation between femoral BMD and MF2D_LOC determined at the calcaneus was R²= 0.79 (p < 0.001). The linear texture measures performed with an R² of 0.07 to 0.12 (p = 0.132 to 0.338).  

Topological pattern properties of trabecular bone based on the Minkowski Functionals can be extracted from lateral x-ray projection images of the calcaneus. The optimized texture quantity MF2D_LOC assessed at the calcaneus is an objective parameter closely correlated with BMD at the hip.

The novel procedure extracts additional information from x-ray images that may serve to identify post-menopausal women with critically reduced BMD with an elevated risk for osteoporotic fractures.

Boehm, H, Lutz, J, Koerner, M, Panteleon, A, Pfeifer, K, Reiser, M, Correlation between Femoral Bone Mineral Density and Local Texture Topology Extracted from Standard Radiographs of the Calcaneus in Post-Menopausal Women.  Radiological Society of North America 2008 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, February 18 - February 20, 2008 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2008/6009447.html