Fracture risk assessment by a novel bone structure analysis method using X-ray images

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10420
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: Aoki Takatoshi 産業医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (40299631)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 興梠 征典 産業医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60195691) ; 金 亨燮 九州工業大学, 大学院工学研究院, 教授 (80295005)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 骨強度 / 画像診断 / トモシンセシス / エックス線画像 / 骨粗鬆症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tomosynthesis is a recent technology that obtains images on arbitrary parallel cross-sections through image reconstruction of multiple projected images taken by a single X-ray exposure. The combination of the bone mineral density (BMD) measurements by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) with tomosynthesis-based trabecular bone analysis improved the correlation to the bone strength in comparison with BMD alone. In addition, the correlation between the bone strength and the BMD with the tomosynthesis-based trabecular bone analysis was higher than that between the bone strength and the various established estimations for fracture risk assessment. Tomosynthesis-based trabecular bone analysis provide bone quality information, and can potentially give additional information to BMD in bone strength prediction of lifestyle-related disease patients.

Free Research Field

放射線科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

エックス線画像を用いた新しい骨構造解析法を用いることで、臨床用CTよりもはるかに少ない被ばくで詳細な骨構造解析を行うことができ、DXAによる骨密度測定では予測できない骨折リスクを推定し得ると予想される。骨粗鬆症の治療では、まず初発骨折を予防することが大切であり、生活習慣病症例では本手法を用いることで、従来よりも正確な薬物治療開始の判断が可能になる可能性がある。