Automatic computational assessment of bone mineral properties through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy...

Human bone tissue is composed of a mineral component, mainly carbonate hydroxyapatite, an organic component, and water. Pathological conditions can alter the chemical and physical characteristics of hydroxyapatite, affecting the mechanical properties of bone. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is a valuable tool for investigating the chemical properties of bone tissue and detecting possible alterations through the assessment of specific bone quality indexes. In this work, a MATLAB tool was developed to enable rapid and efficient quantification of these indexes applied to mineral component of human bone samples. Comparison of the results obtained using the software with those derived by expert and beginner users demonstrated that the tool provides reliable outcomes and supports less experienced users, while also significantly reducing analysis time when processing large datasets. As methodological proof of concept, the tool was applied to samples derived from healthy, osteoporotic, and osteoarthritic human bone tissues, enabling the detection of significant differences in both the degree and type of carbonate group substitution between healthy and pathological samples. This highlights the tool's potential to assist researchers in investigating the chemical properties of bone tissue, contributing to the development of new therapeutic strategies and facilitating early-stage assessment of bone tissue samples.