Medical imaging and osteoporosis: fractal's lacunarity analysis of trabecular bone in MR images

Alimazighi, Zaïa; Eleonori, R.; Maponi, Pierluigi; Rossi, Roberto; Murri, R.

doi:10.1109/cbms.2005.73

Cited by 18 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Note that in Zaia et al [57,58] this method has been presented for binary images arising from a pre processing step of image I by using image J program. The simple extension considered [58,59] can be used also for grayscale images. The efficiency of such an extension is usually improved by a different pre processing step through a sigmoid function ( Figure 2).…”

Section: Trabecular Bone Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, hyperbola formula contains three coefficients (α , β, γ) that represent our suitable numerical indices, where α correlate with the fractal dimension, and β, related to the concavity, characterizes the lacunarity. The result is a triplet of parameters (α* β * γ *) that univocally characterizes any single TBA analyzed [57,58] . Application of the method to several TBA from 25 female subjects with different age and physiopathologic status (4 young, 5 premenopause, 6 postmenopause, 10 osteoporotic with an agerange of 3137, 4252, 5181, and 5975 respectively) has highlighted that, among the three coefficients, parameter β is particularly sensitive to both age and physiopathologic changes.…”

Section: Bone Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The introduction in biomedical field of paradigms, such as theory of complexity, chaos and fractals, suggests new approaches and provides innovative NewmanKeuls multiple range test) in the three classes of TBA considered (healthy young, perimenopausal, and osteoporotic) [57,58] . A correlation between parameter β and age can also be observed with a decreasing trend of β values from young to old subjects [58] .…”

Section: Trabecular Bone Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This evidence candidates parameter β as a standard for TBA characterization as well as an index of structure integrity, potentially predictive of bone fracture risk. Low values of β correspond to a decreased structural integrity linked to increased fracture risk [57,58,65] .…”

Section: Trabecular Bone Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Fractal lacunarity of trabecular bone and magnetic resonance imaging: New perspectives for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment

Alimazighi¹

2015

WJO

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Osteoporosis represents one major health condition for our growing elderly population. It accounts for severe morbidity and increased mortality in postmenopausal women and it is becoming an emerging health concern even in aging men. Screening of the population at risk for bone degeneration and treatment assessment of osteoporotic patients to prevent bone fragility fractures represent useful tools to improve quality of life in the elderly and to lighten the related socio-economic impact. Bone mineral density (BMD) estimate by means of dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry is normally used in clinical practice for osteoporosis diagnosis. Nevertheless, BMD alone does not represent a good predictor of fracture risk. From a clinical point of view, bone microarchitecture seems to be an intriguing aspect to characterize bone alteration patterns in aging and pathology. The widening into clinical practice of medical imaging techniques and the impressive advances in information technologies together with enhanced capacity of power calculation have promoted proliferation of new methods to assess changes of trabecular bone architecture (TBA) during aging and osteoporosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has recently arisen as a useful tool to measure bone structure in vivo . In particular, high-resolution MRI techniques have introduced new perspectives for TBA characterization by non-invasive non-ionizing methods. However, texture analysis methods have not found favor with clinicians as they produce quite a few parameters whose interpretation is difficult. The introduction in biomedical field of paradigms, such as theory of complexity, chaos, and fractals, suggests new approaches and provides innovative tools to develop computerized methods that, by producing a limited number of parameters sensitive to pathology onset and progression, would speed up their application into clinical practice. Complexity of living beings and fractality of several physio-anatomic structures suggest fractal analysis as a promising approach to quantify morphofunctional changes in both aging and pathology. In this particular context, fractal lacunarity seems to be the proper tool to characterize TBA texture as it is able to describe both discontinuity of bone network and sizes of bone marrow spaces, whose changes are an index of bone fracture risk. In this paper, an original method of MRI texture analysis, based on TBA fractal lacunarity is described and discussed in the light of new perspectives for early diagnosis of osteoporotic fractures.

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Section: Trabecular Bone Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Bone Structurementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trabecular Bone Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trabecular Bone Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Fractal lacunarity of trabecular bone and magnetic resonance imaging: New perspectives for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment

Alimazighi¹

2015

WJO

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“…The fractal dimension gives a number for how a structure fills up the space, being an indicator of the boundary irregularity and roughness [30]. The lacunarity values indicate the degree of gap distribution over a certain surface [25,31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Histomorphometric, fractal and lacunarity comparative analysis of sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) compact bone samples

Gudea

Ștefan

2013

Folia Morphol

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References

2009

Biophysical Bone Behavior

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Medical imaging and osteoporosis: fractal's lacunarity analysis of trabecular bone in MR images

Cited by 18 publications

References 17 publications

Fractal lacunarity of trabecular bone and magnetic resonance imaging: New perspectives for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment

Fractal lacunarity of trabecular bone and magnetic resonance imaging: New perspectives for osteoporotic fracture risk assessment

Histomorphometric, fractal and lacunarity comparative analysis of sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) compact bone samples

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