Patent ID: 6411729
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A method for estimating the bone quality or skeletal status of a vertebrate on the basis of two-dimensional image data comprising information relating to the trabecular structure of at least a part of a bone of the vertebrate, the image data being data obtained by exposing at least the part of the bone to electromagnetic radiation, the method comprising subjecting the image data to a statistical analysis comprisinga background correction procedure in which low frequency intensity variations not related to the trabecular structure of the bone is reduced relative to image data related to the trabecular structure of the part of the bone, a feature extraction procedure comprising (a) determining values reflecting the projected trabecular density in the image data, caused by the x-ray attenuating properties of cancellous bone in the part of the bone, for each of the number of locations or areas in the image data, (b) deriving one or more features from the variation of the determined PTD-values, preferably in the longitudinal direction of the bone, and an estimation procedure in which the bone quality or skeletal status of the vertebrate is estimated on the basis of the one or more derived features and optionally other features related to the bone of the vertebrate and a predetermined relationship between the features and reference skeletal status parameters and wherein a PTD-profile is defined by the determined PTD-values and a distance from the location or area for which the individual PTD-value was determined to a predetermined point, and wherein at least one of the one or more features are derived from the profile.