Topologic and Geometric Methods in Osteoporotic Imaging

Osteoporosis is a common age-related disease associated with enhanced fracture risk. Approximately, 40% of women and 15% of men suffer one or more osteoporotic fractures in their lifetime, which reduce quality of life and, often, lead to immobility and mortality. State-of-the-art in vivo volumetric imaging allows segmentation and quantitative characterization of trabecular bone microstructure for accurate assessment of bone strength and fracture-risk. This paper reviews topologic and geometric methods characterizing bone microstructure and their applications to osteoporosis.