Applied Sciences (May 2023)

Correlation of Bone Textural Parameters with Age in the Context of Orthopedic X-ray Studies

  • Paweł Kamiński,
  • Rafał Obuchowicz,
  • Aleksandra Stępień,
  • Julia Lasek,
  • Elżbieta Pociask,
  • Adam Piórkowski

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116618
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 11
p. 6618

Abstract

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The aim of this study was to establish a relationship between the textural parameters observed in X-ray images of bones and the age of the individual. The study utilized a meticulous visual analysis of the images to identify significant correlations between textural features and age. Five distinct regions of interest, namely the Wing of the Ilium, Neck of the Femur, Greater Trochanter, Ischium, and Shaft of the Femur, were identified on both sides of the body. Textural parameters were then measured for each of these regions. The left femoral neck showed the most noteworthy associations, with the textures generated from the histogram of oriented gradients and gray-level co-occurrence matrix exhibiting the strongest correlations (ρ −0.52, p-value 4.95 × 10−14). The main finding of the current study is that correlation of age-dependent bone structure differences in the femoral neck area is higher than in other structures of the femur. This proposed methodology has the potential to aid in the early detection of osteoporosis, which is crucial for devising treatment plans and identifying potential risks associated with bone fragility.

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