Computer-Aided image analysis for vertebral anatomy on x-ray ct images

Abstract

Osteoporosis has become an increasingly important public health problem because of the rapidly aging populations. To obtain the sophisticated knowledge on normal vertebral anatomy is essential to understand the vertebral fracture risk. Multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) method can be used for quantitative analysis of vertebral anatomy such as volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), geometry, and alignment with high accuracy and precision from the same dataset. This chapter described our latest two findings on statistical analysis and image analysis for vertebral anatomy by use of the image processing technique on the MDCT scanning. One was the population-based statistical analysis on vBMD at vertebrae. It showed the trabecular vBMD distribution at healthy thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in Japanese subjects and specific differences in age and gender. The other presented a computerized scheme to quantify the vertebral geometry. The scheme provided appropriate values on the vertebral geometry with numerous CT cases. It is likely that such computer-based attempts will help us to achieve the sophisticated vertebral anatomy.