paediatric bone index derived by automated radiogrammetry

• Published in: Osteoporosis international Vol. 21; no. 8; pp. 1391 - 1400
• Main Authors: Thodberg, H. H, van Rijn, R. R, Tanaka, T, Martin, D. D, Kreiborg, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London London : Springer-Verlag 01-08-2010; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age; Age Determination by Skeleton - methods; Aging - physiology; Algorithms; Automation; Biological and medical sciences; Bone age; Bone density; Bone Density - physiology; Bone mass; Bones; Child; Child, Preschool; Children's bone health; Databases, Factual; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Endocrinology; Female; Growth hormones; Hand Bones - diagnostic imaging; Hand Bones - physiology; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Orthopedics; Osteoarticular system. Muscles; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis. Osteomalacia. Paget disease; Pediatrics; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiogrammetry; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Radiographs; Reference Values; Rheumatology; Software; White people; X-rays; Young Adult; Denmark; Japan; Bone mass; Radiogrammetry; Bone age; Children’s bone health; Radiographs; Human; Radiodiagnosis; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Exploration; Children's bone heath; Radiography; Osteoporosis; Bone; Child
• ISSN: 0937-941X; 1433-2965
• DOI: 10.1007/s00198-009-1085-9

Summary Hand radiographs are obtained routinely to determine bone age of children. This paper presents a method that determines a Paediatric Bone Index automatically from such radiographs. The Paediatric Bone Index is designed to have minimal relative standard deviation (7.5%), and the precision is determined to be 1.42%. Introduction We present a computerised method to determine bone mass of children based on hand radiographs, including a reference database for normal Caucasian children. Methods Normal Danish subjects (1,867), of ages 7-17, and 531 normal Dutch subjects of ages 5-19 were included. Historically, three different indices of bone mass have been used in radiogrammetry all based on [graphic removed] , where T is the cortical thickness and W the bone width. The indices are the metacarpal index A/W ², DXR-BMD = A/W, and Exton-Smith's index A/(WL), where L is the length of the bone. These indices are compared with new indices of the form A/(W a L b ), and it is argued that the preferred index has minimal SD relative to the mean value at each bone age and sex. Finally, longitudinal series of X-rays of 20 Japanese children are used to derive the precision of the measurements. Results The preferred index is A/(W ¹.³³ L ⁰.³³), which is named the Paediatric Bone Index, PBI. It has mean relative SD 7.5% and precision 1.42%. Conclusions As part of the BoneXpert method for automated bone age determination, our method facilitates retrospective research studies involving validation of the proposed index against fracture incidence and adult bone mineral density.