Quantitative vertebral compression fracture evaluation using a height compass

Jianhua Yao; Joseph E. Burns; Tatjana Wiese; Ronald M. Summers

doi:10.1117/12.911703

23 February 2012 Quantitative vertebral compression fracture evaluation using a height compass

Jianhua Yao, Joseph E. Burns, Tatjana Wiese, Ronald M. Summers

Proceedings Volume 8315, Medical Imaging 2012: Computer-Aided Diagnosis; 83151X (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.911703
Event: SPIE Medical Imaging, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Vertebral compression fractures can be caused by even minor trauma in patients with pathological conditions such as osteoporosis, varying greatly in vertebral body location and compression geometry. The location and morphology of the compression injury can guide decision making for treatment modality (vertebroplasty versus surgical fixation), and can be important for pre-surgical planning. We propose a height compass to evaluate the axial plane spatial distribution of compression injury (anterior, posterior, lateral, and central), and distinguish it from physiologic height variations of normal vertebrae. The method includes four steps: spine segmentation and partition, endplate detection, height compass computation and compression fracture evaluation. A height compass is computed for each vertebra, where the vertebral body is partitioned in the axial plane into 17 cells oriented about concentric rings. In the compass structure, a crown-like geometry is produced by three concentric rings which are divided into 8 equal length arcs by rays which are subtended by 8 common central angles. The radius of each ring increases multiplicatively, with resultant structure of a central node and two concentric surrounding bands of cells, each divided into octants. The height value for each octant is calculated and plotted against octants in neighboring vertebrae. The height compass shows intuitive display of the height distribution and can be used to easily identify the fracture regions. Our technique was evaluated on 8 thoraco-abdominal CT scans of patients with reported compression fractures and showed statistically significant differences in height value at the sites of the fractures.

Citation Download Citation

Jianhua Yao, Joseph E. Burns, Tatjana Wiese, and Ronald M. Summers "Quantitative vertebral compression fracture evaluation using a height compass", Proc. SPIE 8315, Medical Imaging 2012: Computer-Aided Diagnosis, 83151X (23 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.911703

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