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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Skeletal Muscle Disease
Published on: December 18, 2016
Application of three-dimensional magnetic resonance image registration for monitoring hip joint diseases
Masaki Takao1, Nobuhiko Sugano, Takashi Nishii
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. masaki-tko@umin.ac.jp
Insights
This study validates a 3D magnetic resonance (MR) registration method for hip joint disease monitoring. The normalized cross-correlation (NCC) algorithm achieves voxel-level accuracy, proving effective for tracking femoral head changes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Orthopedics
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hip joint diseases require accurate monitoring of structural changes.
- Three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers detailed visualization.
- Accurate serial registration of MR images is crucial for tracking disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of a 3D MR volume registration method for monitoring hip joint disease.
- To assess the performance of a normalized cross-correlation (NCC) algorithm in registering proximal femur MR images.
- To determine if the registration accuracy is sufficient for clinical use in hip joint disease management.
Main Methods:
- A normalized cross-correlation (NCC) algorithm was employed for 3D MR volume registration.
- A user-selected 3D box focused on the proximal femur, excluding deformed portions of the femoral head.
- Accuracy was assessed using five phantoms with fiducial markers and clinical MR data from 17 patients.
Main Results:
- Phantom experiments demonstrated a registration accuracy of 0.43 ± 0.18 mm (S.D.), less than half the voxel dimension.
- Clinical data analysis yielded a registration accuracy of 1.12 ± 0.46 mm (S.D.).
- The method achieves accuracy on the order of a voxel, suitable for monitoring hip joint diseases.
Conclusions:
- The developed NCC-based 3D MR registration method accurately registers serial images of the femoral head.
- The achieved accuracy is sufficient for monitoring the progression of hip joint diseases.
- This technique holds promise for improving the clinical management of hip joint pathologies.
Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to estimate the accuracy of a method in which three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) volume registration is used for monitoring hip joint disease. Data were analyzed using a normalized cross-correlation (NCC) algorithm involving a user-selected 3D box including the proximal femur. Most of the femoral head was not included in the 3D box because it can become deformed during the course of disease. The accuracy of registration around the femoral head was evaluated using five phantoms and clinical MR data of 17 patients with hip joint disease. In the phantom experiment, registration accuracy was evaluated using four fiducial markers attached to the femoral head. In the experiment using clinical data, registration accuracy was evaluated using a landmark in the femoral head. The registration accuracy in the phantom and clinical experiment was 0.43+/-0.18 mm (S.D.) and 1.12+/-0.46 mm (S.D.), respectively. The former is a value less than half the minimum dimension of a voxel (1.25 x 1.25 x 1.0 mm). Although the latter is slightly larger than the minimum dimension of a voxel, actual errors would be smaller because of the uncertainty in landmark localization. In conclusion, the present method based on an NCC algorithm can be used to accurately register serial MR images of the femoral heads with an error on the order of a voxel. We believe that this method is sufficiently accurate for monitoring hip joint diseases.
