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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Automated Joint Space Detection Improves Bone Segmentation Accuracy
Published on: November 28, 2025
Normative reference values of joint space width estimated by computer-aided joint space analysis (CAJSA): the distal
Alexander Pfeil1, Joachim Böttcher, Max L Schäfer
1Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany. alexander.pfeil@med.uni-jena.de
Purpose:
The study introduces reference data for a computer-aided analysis. The semiautomated computer-aided diagnostic system provides the estimation of joint space width at the distal interphalangeal joints, considering gender-specific and age-related changes.
Patients And Methods:
869 subjects (351 female/518 male) with hand x-rays were included and underwent measurements of joint space distances at the distal interphalangeal articulation (JSD-DIP) of the second to the fifth finger using computer-aided joint space analysis (CAJSA).
Results:
Data showed a notable age-related decrease of CAJSA parameters, and an accentuated age-related joint space narrowing in women. Males showed a significantly wider JSD-DIP (+ 16.7%) compared to the female cohort for all age groups. Both men and women revealed an accentuated decrease of JSD-DIP (total) in the age group from 10 to 15 years (for men -10.5% and for women -17.6%). After the age of 21 years a continuous decline of the JSD-DIP (total) is observed.
Conclusion:
Our data present gender-specific and age-related normative reference data for computer-aided joint space analysis, which provide a valid and reliable differentiation between disease-related joint space narrowing and age-related joint space narrowing, particularly in patients with osteoarthritis of the fingers.
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