A method for the analysis of image data representing a three-dimensional volume of biological tissue, the image data comprising a first image (10; 210) representing the volume at a first point in time and a second image (20; 220) representing the volume at a second point in time being different from the first point in time, wherein the first image (10; 210) and the second image (20; 220) are registered, characterized by: a) identifying a first subvolume of the volume represented by the first image (10; 210) having a major extension in a predefined direction and a second subvolume (21; 221) of the volume represented by the second image (20; 220) having a major extension in the predefined direction, whereas the first subvolume (11; 211) and the second subvolume (21; 221) represent a same region of the three-dimensional volume; b) creating a distance matrix from image data of a succession of voxels of the first subvolume (11; 211) in the predefined direction and image data of a succession of voxels of the second subvolume (21; 221) in the predefined direction, the distance matrix containing values of a cost function with respect to the image data of a first voxel from the first subvolume (11; 211) and of a second voxel of the second subvolume (21; 221), wherein each voxel in the succession of voxels of the first subvolume (11; 211) is compared with each voxel in the succession of voxels of the second subvolume (21; 221); c) analyzing the distance matrix to obtain a local measure for a probability of growth of a layer of the biological tissue represented by the first and the second subvolume (11, 21; 211, 221), along the predefined direction, by obtaining a warping function corresponding to a path linking a predetermined start point with a predetermined end point of the distance matrix, a sum of distances given by the distance matrix being minimal along the path. a) identifying a first subvolume of the volume represented by the first image (10; 210) having a major extension in a predefined direction and a second subvolume (21; 221) of the volume represented by the second image (20; 220) having a major extension in the predefined direction, whereas the first subvolume (11; 211) and the second subvolume (21; 221) represent a same region of the three-dimensional volume; b) creating a distance matrix from image data of a succession of voxels of the first subvolume (11; 211) in the predefined direction and image data of a succession of voxels of the second subvolume (21; 221) in the predefined direction, the distance matrix containing values of a cost function with respect to the image data of a first voxel from the first subvolume (11; 211) and of a second voxel of the second subvolume (21; 221), wherein each voxel in the succession of voxels of the first subvolume (11; 211) is compared with each voxel in the succession of voxels of the second subvolume (21; 221); c) analyzing the distance matrix to obtain a local measure for a probability of growth of a layer of the biological tissue represented by the first and the second subvolume (11, 21; 211, 221), along the predefined direction, by obtaining a warping function corresponding to a path linking a predetermined start point with a predetermined end point of the distance matrix, a sum of distances given by the distance matrix being minimal along the path.