Determination of connectivity density in human iliac crest bone biopsies assessed by a computerized method.
The aim of the present study was to design a computer program (based on the ConnEulor principle) for direct measurement of 3-D connectivity density in iliac crest bone sections, as used for conventional histomorphometry. We used the physical disector principle and developed an algorithm for nonlinear alignment of the disector pairs. 3-D connectivity was evaluated in transiliac specimens from 30 nonselected autopsy cases of 14 men (age range 20-84 years) and 16 women (age range 20-96 years). In order to visualize the findings from the disector pairs, 3-D reconstruction was performed for two of the iliac crest biopsies. The designed computer program aligns the two sections forming a disector pair and automatically depicts the differences between the images, thereby making correct, direct connectivity density measurements available for conventional bone research.
Thomsen
J S
JS
Department of Cell Biology, University of Aarhus, Denmark. root@jst.ana.aau.dk
Barlach
J
J
Mosekilde
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D001706:Biopsy; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000209:etiology; D016613:Plastic Embedding; D012984:Software