CAD of osteoporosis in vertebrae using dual-energy CT

The assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) in vertebrae is critical for the diagnosis of osteoporosis. Recent developments in dual-source CT allow for the simultaneous acquisition of two image data sets with different X-ray tube energies - dual-energy CT (DECT). We present a comprehensive approach for assessing the density of the trabecular bone in vertebrae of the spine based on DECT image data. For this, we apply and combine methods from different areas: the deformation of a template mesh for delineating the structures of interest, a biophysical model of the trabecular bone for the computation of BMD values, and different visualization approaches for the display of the results. In addition, we investigate the correlation between the computed BMD values with concurrently measured pull-out forces for pedicle screws. We show that there is a linear correlation between both measures and thus, DECT provides correct BMD values for the trabecular bone. We conclude that our approach enables the radiologist to diagnose osteoporosis based on DECT image data which has the potential to replace the current gold standard dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.