In vivo assessment of trabecular bone structure at the distal radius from high-resolution magnetic resonance images

In this study a method of assessing trabecular bone structure at the distal end of the radius from high-resolution magnetic resonance images is described. Trabecular bone is segmented from the marrow and soft tissue background using an adaptive threshold, a region growth, and a skeletonization step. From the processed image we measured the connectivity and orientation of the trabecular bone network. Connectivity was assessed by a proposed connectivity index (CI) and marrow space was quantitated by a mean hole area (H-A) Significant age-related changes in CI and H-A were observed in a mixed group of normal volunteers. CI decreased at a rate of 0.18 yr(-1) (r = 0.72, n = 14, p < 0.05) and H-A increased at a rate of 0.018 mm(2) yr(-1) (r = 0.69, n = 14, p < 0.05). Gradient analysis was used to examine trabecular orientation, and revealed that the individual trabeculae at the distal end of the radius are organized anisotropically along the bone. These findings suggest that clinical magnetic resonance scanners can be used to assess trabecular bone structure in vivo. (C) 1997 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.