Automatic identification of trabecular bone fracture

Abstract

The correct assessment of bone fracture risk is a mandatory issue for the application of efficient therapeutic scheme. However, it is still not clear which parameter can better predict the probability of a broken event. The correct identification of the fracture zone is a prerequisite in order to recognize the best parameter describing the bone failure. The in-vitro analysis of trabecular bone by means of micro tomographic devices (micro-CT) is a common technique for the study of bone structure. In this scenario image guide failure analysis is becoming a powerful tool for the characterization of trabecular bone mechanical behavior. In the present study the application of image registration techniques is proposed for the rapid and precise identification of the broken fracture. Five trabecular bone specimens were acquired by means of a micro-CT before and after the mechanical compression. The two datasets of every specimen were registered using a surface based automatic method and the broken region was identified as the only region not registered. The automatic procedure was finally validated comparing its results to the visual identification of three operators independently. The procedure resulted in complete agreement in 7 cases out of 10. For the three remaining cases, the operators had to compare their findings against the ones suggested by the automatic registration procedure. In all three cases, the operators had to correct their findings suggesting that the proposed automatic registration procedure was successfully performed and the identification of the fracture zone was correct. In conclusion, a novel procedure for the identification of trabecular bone fracture zone was presented and validated throughout this study. © 2010 International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.