title: Quantification of spatial structure of human proximal tibial bone  biopsies using 3D measures of complexity.
abstract: Changes in trabecular bone composition during development of osteoporosis are used as a model for bone loss in microgravity conditions during a space flight. Symbolic dynamics and measures of complexity are proposed and applied to assess quantitatively the structural composition of bone tissue from 3D data sets of human tibia bone biopsies acquired by a micro-CT scanner. In order to justify the newly proposed approach, the measures of complexity of the bone architecture were compared with the results of traditional 2D bone histomorphometry. The proposed technique is able to quantify the structural loss of the bone tissue and may help to diagnose and to monitor changes in bone structure of patients on Earth as well as of the space-flying personnel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Center of Muscle and Bone Research, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. peter.saparin@mpikg.mpg.de
authors.forename: Peter I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Saparin
authors.forename: Jesper Skovhus
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prohaska
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaikin
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kurths
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hege
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gowin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D018488:Bone Demineralization, Pathologic; D015519:Bone Density; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008852:Microradiography; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging