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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
Outer-Boundary Assisted Segmentation and Quantification of Trabecular Bones by an Imagej Plugin
Published on: March 14, 2018
Individual trabecula segmentation validation in first- and second-generation high-resolution peripheral computed
Andreea Teodora Dinescu1, Bin Zhou1, Yizhong Jenny Hu1
1Bone Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, United States.
The second-generation high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT II) shows strong agreement with micro-computed tomography (μCT) for analyzing trabecular bone microstructure. This validates HR-pQCT II as a tool for assessing bone structure changes, with potential corrections for first-generation HR-pQCT (HR-pQCT I) data.
Area of Science:
- Bone biology and imaging
- Biomedical engineering
- Radiology
Background:
- High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) enables in vivo 3D visualization of trabecular bone microstructure.
- Advanced Individual Trabecula Segmentation (ITS) quantifies bone structure by differentiating plates and rods.
- Previous studies validated ITS using HR-pQCT I, but its performance with the enhanced resolution of HR-pQCT II requires assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the agreement between Individual Trabecula Segmentation (ITS) analysis performed on images from HR-pQCT I, HR-pQCT II, and micro-computed tomography (μCT).
- To validate the use of HR-pQCT II for detailed trabecular microstructure analysis.
- To assess the potential for correcting data obtained from HR-pQCT I.
Main Methods:
- Freshly frozen tibia and radius bones were scanned using HR-pQCT I (82 μm), HR-pQCT II (60.7 μm), and μCT (37 μm).
- Image registration and binarization were performed, followed by ITS analysis to quantify parameters like bone volume fraction, number density, thickness, and plate-to-rod ratio.
- Statistical analysis included paired Student's t-tests and linear regression to determine correlations and differences between imaging modalities.
Main Results:
- HR-pQCT I parameters differed significantly from μCT measurements.
- HR-pQCT II parameters showed significant differences from μCT, except for rod number density (rTb.N).
- Strong correlations (R² = 0.55–0.94) were observed between HR-pQCT II and μCT for microstructural analysis, indicating good agreement.
Conclusions:
- HR-pQCT II demonstrates strong agreement with μCT for assessing trabecular plate and rod microstructure.
- HR-pQCT II is validated as a reliable tool for studying bone structure changes in vivo.
- The findings suggest that HR-pQCT II data can be used to correct existing HR-pQCT I measurements.
