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Computed measures on computed tomograms of the head
Radiology
|April 1, 1982
Summary
New methods precisely measure parietal bone mass and skull width using CT scans. Bone mass in males remains stable with age, while females show age-related changes, and skull width increases slightly in both sexes.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Assessing bone density and dimensions is crucial for understanding skeletal health.
- Parietal bone mass (APBM) and parietal skull width (APSW) are key cranial measurements.
- Existing methods for measuring these parameters can be complex or require specialized equipment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate novel, automated image processing techniques for measuring APBM and APSW.
- To establish the precision and reliability of these new measurement methods.
- To investigate age-related changes in APBM and APSW in both males and females.
Main Methods:
- Development of automatic image processing algorithms.
- Utilization of a specialized polar coordinate system for measurements.
- Analysis of single computed tomographic (CT) head scan sections without special apparatus.
- Precision of the technique assessed at approximately 2%.
Main Results:
- Average parietal bone mass (APBM) in males shows no significant decrease with age.
- In females, APBM appears to segregate into two age-related groups, potentially linked to postmenopausal status.
- Average parietal skull width (APSW) demonstrates a slight increase with age in both males and females.
Conclusions:
- The developed automated image processing technique offers a precise (approx. 2%) and accessible method for quantifying APBM and APSW from standard CT scans.
- Age-related patterns in parietal bone mass differ between males and females, with potential implications of menopausal status in women.
- Observed slight increases in parietal skull width with age warrant further investigation into their clinical significance.