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Updated: Aug 23, 2026
Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Limitations of quantitative bone-mass measurements using assessments of first-order statistics of grey-level
V E Kouloulias1, G Matsopoulos, J R Kouvaris
1Areteion University Hospital, Radiology Department, Athens, Greece. vkouloul@cc.ece.ntua.gr
Purpose:
To evaluate the quality assurance of image-processing techniques in plain radiographs of skeletal structures.
Material And Methods:
Twenty-two patients were studied, each with one osteolytic metastasis. Accuracy and precision of tube voltage and timer were confirmed. The mean value of grey-level histograms in plain radiographs (MVGLHs) was assessed. The deviation was monitored after five sets of sequential X-rays retaining the same settings for each radiograph.
Results:
Deviation was significantly higher in anatomical areas of thorax (21.2%) and abdomen (42.4%), while the consistency of MVGLH for weight-bearing bones was satisfactory with a maximum deviation of 2.9% (P<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test).
Conclusion:
Assessment of MVGLH in plain radiographs is a reliable method for the extremities and generally for regions without superimposed movable tissues.
