title: Bone fractal analysis.
abstract: Fractal analysis is a quantitative method used to evaluate complex anatomic findings in their elementary component. Its application to biologic images, particularly to cancellous bones, has been well practiced within the past few years. The aims of these applications are to assess changes in bone and the loss of spongious architecture, indicate bone fragility, and to show the increased risk for fracture in primary or secondary osteoporosis. The applications are very promising to help complete the studies that can define bone density (bone mineral density by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry or quantitative computed tomography), and also have the capacity to distinguish the patients with a high or low risk for fracture. Their extension to the clinical fields, to define a test for fracture risk, is still limited by difficult application to the medical quantitative imaging of bones, between correct application at superficial bones and unreliable application to deep bones. The future evolution and validity do not depend upon fractal methods but upon well-detailed imaging of the bones in clinical conditions.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Section, Department Medical Diagnostic Sciences and Special Therapies, Padua University, Policlinico University H., via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy. giampietro.feltrin@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Gian Pietro
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Feltrin
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stramare
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giacomini
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saccavini
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology; D001857:Bone Matrix / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D017709:Fractals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008852:Microradiography / Q000379:methods*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index