A multi-stack registration technique to improve measurement accuracy and precision across longitudinal HR-pQCT scans.

BACKGROUND: Recent applications of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) have demonstrated that changes in local bone remodelling can be quantified in vivo using longitudinal three-dimensional image registration. However, certain emerging applications, such as fracture healing and joint analysis, require larger multi-stack scan regions that can result in stack shift image artifacts. These artifacts can be detrimental to the accurate alignment of the bone structure across multiple timepoints. The purpose of this study was to establish a multi-stack registration protocol for evaluating longitudinal HR-pQCT images and to assess the accuracy and precision error in comparison with measures obtained using previously established three-dimensional longitudinal registration. METHODS: Three same day multi-stack HR-pQCT scans of the radius (2 stacks in length) and tibia (3 stacks in length) were obtained from 39 healthy individuals who participated in a previous reproducibility study. A fully automated multi-stack registration algorithm was developed to re-align stacks within a scan by leveraging slight offsets between longitudinal scans. Stack shift severity before and after registration was quantified using a newly proposed stack-shift severity score. The false discovery rate for bone remodelling events and precision error of bone morphology and micro-finite element analysis parameters were compared between longitudinally registered scans with and without the addition of multi-stack registration. RESULTS: Most scans (82 %) improved in stack alignment or maintained the lowest stack shift severity score when multi-stack registration was implemented. The false discovery rate of bone remodelling events significantly decreased after multi-stack registration, resulting in median false detection of bone formation and resorption fractions between 3.2 to 7.5 % at the radius and 3.4 to 5.3 % at the tibia. Further, precision error was significantly reduced or remained unchanged in all standard bone morphology and micro-finite element analysis parameters, except for total and trabecular cross-sectional areas. CONCLUSION: Multi-stack registration is an effective strategy for accurately aligning multi-stack HR-pQCT scans without modification of the image acquisition protocol. The algorithm presented here is a viable approach for performing accurate morphological analysis on multi-stack HR-pQCT scans, particularly for advanced application investigating local bone remodelling in vivo.

A Correspondence-Based Network Approach for Groupwise Analysis of Patient-Specific Spatiotemporal Data.

Methods for statistically analyzing patient-specific data that vary both spatially and over time are currently either limited to summary statistics or require elaborate surface registration. We propose a new method, called correspondence-based network analysis, which leverages particle-based shape modeling to establish correspondence across a population and preserve patient-specific measurements and predictions through statistical analysis. Herein, we evaluated this method using three published datasets of the hip describing cortical bone thickness of the proximal femur, cartilage contact stress, and dynamic joint space between control and patient cohorts to evaluate activity- and group-based differences, as applicable, using traditional statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and our proposed spatially considerate correspondence-based network analysis approach. The network approach was insensitive to correspondence density, while the traditional application of SPM showed decreasing area of the region of significance with increasing correspondence density. In comparison to SPM, the network approach identified broader and more connected regions of significance for all three datasets. The correspondence-based network analysis approach identified differences between groups and activities without loss of subject and spatial specificity which could improve clinical interpretation of results.

Precision of bone mechanoregulation assessment in humans using longitudinal high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography in vivo.

Local mechanical stimuli in the bone microenvironment are essential for the homeostasis and adaptation of the skeleton, with evidence suggesting that disruption of the mechanically-driven bone remodelling process may lead to bone loss. Longitudinal clinical studies have shown the combined use of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) and micro-finite element analysis can be used to measure load-driven bone remodelling in vivo; however, quantitative markers of bone mechanoregulation and the precision of these analyses methods have not been validated in human subjects. Therefore, this study utilised participants from two cohorts. A same-day cohort (n = 33) was used to develop a filtering strategy to minimise false detections of bone remodelling sites caused by noise and motion artefacts present in HR-pQCT scans. A longitudinal cohort (n = 19) was used to develop bone imaging markers of trabecular bone mechanoregulation and characterise the precision for detecting longitudinal changes in subjects. Specifically, we described local load-driven formation and resorption sites independently using patient-specific odds ratios (OR) and 99 % confidence intervals. Conditional probability curves were computed to link the mechanical environment to the remodelling events detected on the bone surface. To quantify overall mechanoregulation, we calculated a correct classification rate measuring the fraction of remodelling events correctly identified by the mechanical signal. Precision was calculated as root-mean-squared averages of the coefficient of variation (RMS-SD) of repeated measurements using scan-rescan pairs at baseline combined with a one-year follow-up scan. We found no significant mean difference (p < 0.01) between scan-rescan conditional probabilities. RMS-SD was 10.5 % for resorption odds, 6.3 % for formation odds, and 1.3 % for correct classification rates. Bone was most likely to be formed in high-strain and resorbed in low-strain regions for all participants, indicating a consistent, regulated response to mechanical stimuli. For each percent increase in strain, the likelihood of bone resorption decreased by 2.0 ± 0.2 %, and the likelihood of bone formation increased by 1.9 ± 0.2 %, totalling 38.3 ± 1.1 % of strain-driven remodelling events across the entire trabecular compartment. This work provides novel robust bone mechanoregulation markers and their precision for designing future clinical studies.

Statistical multi-level shape models for scalable modeling of multi-organ anatomies.

Statistical shape modeling is an indispensable tool in the quantitative analysis of anatomies. Particle-based shape modeling (PSM) is a state-of-the-art approach that enables the learning of population-level shape representation from medical imaging data (e.g., CT, MRI) and the associated 3D models of anatomy generated from them. PSM optimizes the placement of a dense set of landmarks (i.e., correspondence points) on a given shape cohort. PSM supports multi-organ modeling as a particular case of the conventional single-organ framework via a global statistical model, where multi-structure anatomy is considered as a single structure. However, global multi-organ models are not scalable for many organs, induce anatomical inconsistencies, and result in entangled shape statistics where modes of shape variation reflect both within- and between-organ variations. Hence, there is a need for an efficient modeling approach that can capture the inter-organ relations (i.e., pose variations) of the complex anatomy while simultaneously optimizing the morphological changes of each organ and capturing the population-level statistics. This paper leverages the PSM approach and proposes a new approach for correspondence-point optimization of multiple organs that overcomes these limitations. The central idea of multilevel component analysis, is that the shape statistics consists of two mutually orthogonal subspaces: the within-organ subspace and the between-organ subspace. We formulate the correspondence optimization objective using this generative model. We evaluate the proposed method using synthetic shape data and clinical data for articulated joint structures of the spine, foot and ankle, and hip joint.

Acetabular labrum and cartilage contact mechanics during pivoting and walking tasks in individuals with cam femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a motion-related pathology of the hip characterized by pain, morphological abnormalities of the proximal femur, and an elevated risk of joint deterioration and hip osteoarthritis. Activities that require deep flexion are understood to induce impingement in cam FAIS patients, however, less demanding activities such as walking and pivoting may induce pain as well as alterations in kinematics and joint stability. Still, the paucity of quantitative descriptions of cam FAIS has hindered understanding underlying hip joint mechanics during such activities. Previous in silico studies have employed generalized model geometry or kinematics to simulate impingement between the femur and acetabulum, which may not accurately capture the interplay between morphology and motion. In this study, we utilized models with participant-specific bone and articular soft tissue anatomy and kinematics measured by dual-fluoroscopy to compare hip contact mechanics of cam FAIS patients to controls during four activities of daily living (internal/external pivoting and level/incline walking). Averaged across the gait cycle during incline walking, patients displayed increased strain in the anterior joint (labrum strain: p-value = 0.038, patients: 11.7 ± 6.7 %, controls: 5.0 ± 3.6 %; cartilage strain: p-value = 0.029, patients: 9.1 ± 3.3 %, controls: 4.2 ± 2.3). Patients also exhibited increased average anterior cartilage strains during external pivoting (p-value = 0.039; patients: 13.0 ± 9.2 %, controls: 3.9 ± 3.2 %]). No significant differences between patient and control contact area and strain were found for level walking and internal pivoting. Our study provides new insights into the biomechanics of cam FAIS, including spatiotemporal hip joint contact mechanics during activities of daily living.

Patients with cam-type femoroacetabular impingement demonstrate increased change in bone-to-bone distance during walking: A dual fluoroscopy study.

Cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is a painful, structural hip disorder. Herein, we investigated hip joint mechanics through in vivo, dynamic measurement of the bone-to-bone distance between the femoral head and acetabulum in patients with cam FAI syndrome and morphologically screened controls. We hypothesized that individuals with cam FAI syndrome would have larger changes in bone-to-bone distance compared to the control group, which we would interpret as altered joint mechanics as signified by greater movement of the femoral head as it articulates within the acetabulum. Seven patients with cam FAI syndrome and 11 asymptomatic individuals with typical morphology underwent dual fluoroscopy imaging during level and inclined walking (upward slope). The change in bone-to-bone distance between femoral and acetabular bone surfaces was evaluated for five anatomical regions of the acetabulum at each timepoint of gait. Linear regression analysis of the bone-to-bone distance considered two within-subject factors (activity and region) and one between-subjects factor (group). Across activities, the change in minimum bone-to-bone distance was 1.38-2.54 mm for the cam FAI group and 1.16-1.84 mm for controls. In all regions except the anterior-superior region, the change in bone-to-bone distance was larger in the cam group than the control group (p ≤ 0.024). An effect of activity was detected only in the posterior-superior region where larger changes were noted during level walking than incline walking. Statement of clinical significance: Patients with cam FAI syndrome exhibit altered hip joint mechanics during the low-demand activity of walking; these alterations could affect load transmission, and contribute to pain, tissue damage, and osteoarthritis.

Motion grading of high-resolution quantitative computed tomography supported by deep convolutional neural networks.

Image quality degradation due to subject motion confounds the precision and reproducibility of measurements of bone density, morphology and mechanical properties from high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). Time-consuming operator-based scoring of motion artefacts remains the gold standard to determine the degree of acceptable motion. However, due to the subjectiveness of manual grading, HR-pQCT scans of poor quality, which cannot be used for analysis, may be accepted upon initial review, leaving patients with incomplete or inaccurate imaging results. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) enable fast image analysis with relatively few pre-processing requirements in an operator-independent and fully automated way for image classification tasks. This study aimed to develop a CNN that can predict motion scores from HR-pQCT images, while also being aware of uncertain predictions that require manual confirmation. The CNN calculated motion scores within seconds and achieved a high F1-score (86.8 ± 2.8 %), with good precision (87.5 ± 2.7 %), recall (86.7 ± 2.9 %) and a substantial agreement with the ground truth measured by Cohen's kappa (κ = 68.6 ± 6.2 %); motion scores of the test dataset were predicted by the algorithm with comparable accuracy, precision, sensitivity and agreement as by the operators (p > 0.05). This post-processing approach may be used to assess the effect of motion scores on microstructural analysis and can be immediately implemented into clinical protocols, significantly reducing the time for quality assessment and control of HR-pQCT scans.

Clinical observation of diminished bone quality and quantity through longitudinal HR-pQCT-derived remodeling and mechanoregulation.

High resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) provides methods for quantifying volumetric bone mineral density and microarchitecture necessary for early diagnosis of bone disease. When combined with a longitudinal imaging protocol and finite element analysis, HR-pQCT can be used to assess bone formation and resorption (i.e., remodeling) and the relationship between this remodeling and mechanical loading (i.e., mechanoregulation) at the tissue level. Herein, 25 patients with a contralateral distal radius fracture were imaged with HR-pQCT at baseline and 9-12 months follow-up: 16 patients were prescribed vitamin D3 with/without calcium supplement based on a blood biomarker measures of bone metabolism and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry image-based measures of normative bone quantity which indicated diminishing (n = 9) or poor (n = 7) bone quantity and 9 were not. To evaluate the sensitivity of this imaging protocol to microstructural changes, HR-pQCT images were registered for quantification of bone remodeling and image-based micro-finite element analysis was then used to predict local bone strains and derive rules for mechanoregulation. Remodeling volume fractions were predicted by both average values of trabecular and cortical thickness and bone mineral density (R2 > 0.8), whereas mechanoregulation was affected by dominance of the arm and group classification (p < 0.05). Overall, longitudinal, extended HR-pQCT analysis enabled the identification of changes in bone quantity and quality too subtle for traditional measures.

Prediction of femoral head coverage from articulated statistical shape models of patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is commonly described as reduced femoral head coverage due to anterolateral acetabular deficiency. Although reduced coverage is the defining trait of DDH, more subtle and localized anatomic features of the joint are also thought to contribute to symptom development and degeneration. These features are challenging to identify using conventional approaches. Herein, we assessed the morphology of the full femur and hemi-pelvis using an articulated statistical shape model (SSM). The model determined the morphological and pose-based variations associated with DDH in a population of Japanese females and established which of these variations predict coverage. Computed tomography (CT) images of 83 hips from 47 patients were segmented for input into a correspondence-based SSM. The dominant modes of variation in the model initially represented scale and pose. After removal of these factors through individual bone alignment, femoral version and neck-shaft angle, pelvic curvature, and acetabular version dominated the observed variation. Femoral head oblateness and prominence of the acetabular rim and various muscle attachment sites of the femur and hemi-pelvis were found to predict 3D CT-based coverage measurements (R2 = 0.5-0.7 for the full bones, R2 = 0.9 for the joint). Statement of Clinical Significance: Currently, clinical measurements of DDH only consider the morphology of the acetabulum. However, the results of this study demonstrated that variability in femoral head shape and several muscle attachment sites were predictive of femoral head coverage. These morphological differences may provide insight into improved clinical diagnosis and surgical planning based on functional adaptations of patients with DDH.

In Vivo Quantification of Hip Arthrokinematics during Dynamic Weight-bearing Activities using Dual Fluoroscopy.

Several hip pathologies have been attributed to abnormal morphology with an underlying assumption of aberrant biomechanics. However, structure-function relationships at the joint level remain challenging to quantify due to difficulties in accurately measuring dynamic joint motion. The soft tissue artifact errors inherent in optical skin marker motion capture are exacerbated by the depth of the hip joint within the body and the large mass of soft tissue surrounding the joint. Thus, the complex relationship between bone shape and hip joint kinematics is more difficult to study accurately than in other joints. Herein, a protocol incorporating computed tomography (CT) arthrography, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of volumetric images, dual fluoroscopy, and optical motion capture to accurately measure the dynamic motion of the hip joint is presented. The technical and clinical studies that have applied dual fluoroscopy to study form-function relationships of the hip using this protocol are summarized, and the specific steps and future considerations for data acquisition, processing, and analysis are described.

Formation Dominates Resorption With Increasing Mineralized Density and Time Postfracture in Cortical but Not Trabecular Bone: A Longitudinal HRpQCT Imaging Study in the Distal Radius.

Clinical evaluation of fracture healing is often limited to an assessment of fracture bridging from radiographic images, without consideration for other aspects of bone quality. However, recent advances in HRpQCT offer methods to accurately monitor microstructural bone remodeling throughout the healing process. In this study, local bone formation and resorption were investigated during the first year post fracture in both the fractured (n = 22) and contralateral (n = 19) radii of 34 conservatively treated patients (24 female, 10 male) who presented with a unilateral radius fracture at the Innsbruck University Hospital, Austria. HRpQCT images and clinical metrics were acquired at six time points for each patient. The standard HRpQCT image acquisition was captured for all radii, with additional distal and proximal image acquisitions for the fractured radii. Measured radial bone densities were isolated with a voxel-based mask and images were rigidly registered to images from the previous imaging session using a pyramid-based approach. From the registered images, bone formation and resorption volume fractions were quantified for multiple density-based thresholds and compared between the fractured and contralateral radius and relative to demographics, bone morphometrics, and fracture metrics using regression. Compared with the contralateral radius, both bone formation and resorption were significantly increased in the fractured radius throughout the study for nearly all evaluated thresholds. Higher density cortical bone formation continually increased throughout the duration of the study and was significantly greater than resorption during late-stage healing in both the fractured and intact regions of the radius. With the small and diverse study population, only weak relationships between fracture remodeling and patient-specific parameters were unveiled. However this study provides methods for the analysis of local bone remodeling during fracture healing and highlights relevant considerations for future studies, specifically that remodeling postfracture is likely to continue beyond 12-months postfracture. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Automated segmentation of fractured distal radii by 3D geodesic active contouring of in vivo HR-pQCT images.

Radius fractures are among the most common fracture types; however, there is limited consensus on the standard of care. A better understanding of the fracture healing process could help to shape future treatment protocols and thus improve functional outcomes of patients. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) allows monitoring and evaluation of the radius on the micro-structural level, which is crucial to our understanding of fracture healing. However, current radius fracture studies using HR-pQCT are limited by the lack of automated contouring routines, hence only including small number of patients due to the prohibitively time-consuming task of manually contouring HR-pQCT images. In the present study, a new method to automatically contour images of distal radius fractures based on 3D morphological geodesic active contours (3D-GAC) is presented. Contours of 60 HR-pQCT images of fractured and conservatively treated radii spanning the healing process up to one year post-fracture are compared to the current gold standard, hand-drawn 2D contours, to assess the accuracy of the algorithm. Furthermore, robustness was established by applying the algorithm to HR-pQCT images of intact radii of 73 patients and comparing the resulting morphometric indices to the gold standard patient evaluation including a threshold- and dilation-based contouring approach. Reproducibility was evaluated using repeat scans of intact radii of 19 patients. The new 3D-GAC approach offers contours within inter-operator variability for images of fractured distal radii (mean Dice score of 0.992 ± 0.005 versus median operator Dice score of 0.992 ± 0.006). The generated contours for images of intact radii yielded morphometric indices within the in vivo reproducibility limits compared to the current gold standard. Additionally, the 3D-GAC approach shows an improved robustness against failure (n = 5) when dealing with cortical interruptions, fracture fragments, etc. compared with the automatic, default manufacturer pipeline (n = 40). Using the 3D-GAC approach assures consistent results, while reducing the need for time-consuming hand-contouring.

The effect of pelvic tilt on three-dimensional coverage of the femoral head: A computational simulation study using patient-specific anatomy.

Improved understanding of how three-dimensional (3D) femoral head coverage changes as the pelvic sagittal inclination (PSI) is altered would advance clinical diagnosis of hip pathoanatomy. Herein, we applied computer modeling of 3D computed tomography reconstructions of the pelvis and proximal femur to quantify relationships between the PSI and regional 3D femoral head coverage. Eleven healthy, young adult participants with typically developed hip anatomy were analyzed. The orientation of the pelvis was altered to define a PSI of -30° to 30° at 1° increments. Hip adduction and rotation were fixed in a standing position, which was measured by direct in vivo imaging of the pelvis and femur bones using dual fluoroscopy. Femoral head coverage was quantified in the anterior, superior, posterior, and inferior regions for each PSI position. Change in coverage was largest in the anterior region (29.8%) and smallest in the superior region (6.5%). Coverage increased linearly in the anterior region as the PSI increased, while a linear decrease was found in the posterior region and the inferior region (all p < .001). The slopes of the regression line for these regions were 0.513, -0.316, and -0.255, respectively. For the superior region, coverage increased when the PSI was altered from -30° to 5° and decreased when the PSI was larger than 5°. Overall, a 1° increase in PSI resulted in an increase of 0.5% in anterior coverage and a decrease of 0.3% in posterior coverage. Our findings provide baseline data that improve understanding of the effect of PSI on femoral coverage.

Inclusion of the Acetabular Labrum Reduces Simulated Range of Motion of the Hip Compared With Bone Contact Models.

PURPOSE: To determine whether inclusion of the acetabular labrum affects the maximum range of motion (ROM) during simulation of the flexion-adduction-internal rotation impingement examination. METHODS: Three-dimensional surface reconstructions of the femur, hemi-pelvis, and labrum from computed tomography arthrography images of 19 participants were used to simulate maximum ROM during the flexion-adduction-internal rotation examination. Simulations were conducted for positions between 70° and 110° flexion and 0° and 20° adduction at 10° increments to measure maximum internal rotation and the position of contact between the femur and acetabular rim (bone-to-bone) or the femur and labrum (bone-to-labrum). Internal rotation angles and clock-face position values were compared between the 2 contact scenarios for each position. RESULTS: The ROM in the bone-to-labrum contact model was significantly less than that of the bone-to-bone contact model for all evaluated positions (P ≤ .001, except at 110° flexion and 20° adduction, P = .114). The inclusion of the labrum reduced internal rotation by a median [interquartile range] of 18 [15, 25]° while altering the position of contact on the acetabular clock-face by -0:01 [-0:27, 0:16]. The variability in contact location for the bone-to-labrum contact scenario was nearly double that of the bone-to-bone contact scenario, as indicated by the interquartile range. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of the anatomy of the acetabular labrum in collision models used to simulate impingement examinations reduced the internal rotation ROM by approximately 20° and increased variability in the location of contact relative to the acetabular rim. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: While standard bone-to-bone contact ROM simulations may be informative with respect to the relative change in ROM based on a surgical intervention (e.g., pre- and post-osteochondroplasty for cam-type femoroacetabular impingement), they may not accurately represent the clinical ROM of the joint or the kinematic position at which damage may occur due to shape mismatch between the femur and acetabulum.

Morphologic analysis of the subtalar joint using statistical shape modeling.

Weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) enables visualization of the foot and ankle as patients stand under load. Clinical measurements of WBCT images are generally limited to two-dimensions, which reduces the ability to quantify complex morphology of individual osseous structures as well as the alignment between two or more bones. The shape and orientation of the healthy/normal subtalar joint, in particular, is not well-understood, which makes it very difficult to diagnose subtalar pathoanatomy. Herein, we employed statistical shape modeling to evaluate three-dimensional (3D) shape variation, coverage, space, and congruency of the subtalar joint using WBCT data of 27 asymptomatic healthy individuals. The four most relevant findings were: (A) talar and calcaneal anatomical differences were found regarding the presence of (a) the talar posterior process, (b) calcaneal pitch, and (c) curvature of the calcaneal posterior facet; (B) the talar posterior facet articular surface area was significantly greater than the calcaneal posterior facet articular surface area; (C) the posterior facet varied in joint space distance, whereas the anteromedial facet was even; and (D) the posterior and anteromedial facet of the subtalar joint was consistently congruent. Despite considerable shape variation across the population, the posterior and anteromedial articular facets of the subtalar joint were consistently congruent. Results provide a detailed 3D analysis of the subtalar joint under a weightbearing condition in a healthy population which can be used for comparisons to pathological patient populations. The described SSM approach also shows promise for clinical evaluation of the subtalar joint from 3D surface reconstructions of WBCT images.

Soft tissue artifact causes underestimation of hip joint kinematics and kinetics in a rigid-body musculoskeletal model.

Rigid body musculoskeletal models have been applied to study kinematics, moments, muscle forces, and joint reaction forces in the hip. Most often, models are driven with segment motions calculated through optical tracking of markers adhered to the skin. One limitation of optical tracking is soft tissue artifact (STA), which occurs due to motion of the skin surface relative to the underlying skeleton. The purpose of this study was to quantify differences in musculoskeletal model outputs when tracking body segment positions with skin markers as compared to bony landmarks measured by direct imaging of bone motion with dual fluoroscopy (DF). Eleven asymptomatic participants with normally developed hip anatomy were imaged with DF during level treadmill walking at a self-selected speed. Hip joint kinematics and kinetics were generated using inverse kinematics, inverse dynamics, static optimization and joint reaction force analysis. The effect of STA was assessed by comparing the difference in estimates from simulations based on skin marker positions (SM) versus virtual markers on bony landmarks from DF. While patterns were similar, STA caused underestimation of kinematics, range of motion (ROM), moments, and reaction forces at the hip, including flexion-extension ROM, maximum internal rotation joint moment and peak joint reaction force magnitude. Still, kinetic differences were relatively small, and thus they may not be relevant nor clinically meaningful.

A Combined Geometric Morphometric and Discrete Element Modeling Approach for Hip Cartilage Contact Mechanics.

Finite element analysis (FEA) provides the current reference standard for numerical simulation of hip cartilage contact mechanics. Unfortunately, the development of subject-specific FEA models is a laborious process. Owed to its simplicity, Discrete Element Analysis (DEA) provides an attractive alternative to FEA. Advancements in computational morphometrics, specifically statistical shape modeling (SSM), provide the opportunity to predict cartilage anatomy without image segmentation, which could be integrated with DEA to provide an efficient platform to predict cartilage contact stresses in large populations. The objective of this study was, first, to validate linear and non-linear DEA against a previously validated FEA model and, second, to present and evaluate the applicability of a novel population-averaged cartilage geometry prediction method against previously used methods to estimate cartilage anatomy. The population-averaged method is based on average cartilage thickness maps and therefore allows for a more accurate and individualized cartilage geometry estimation when combined with SSM. The root mean squared error of the population-averaged cartilage geometry predicted by SSM as compared to the manually segmented cartilage geometry was 0.31 ± 0.08 mm. Identical boundary and loading conditions were applied to the DEA and FEA models. Predicted DEA stress distribution patterns and magnitude of peak stresses were in better agreement with FEA for the novel cartilage anatomy prediction method as compared to commonly used parametric methods based on the estimation of acetabular and femoral head radius. Still, contact stress was overestimated and contact area was underestimated for all cartilage anatomy prediction methods. Linear and non-linear DEA methods differed mainly in peak stress results with the non-linear definition being more sensitive to detection of high peak stresses. In conclusion, DEA in combination with the novel population-averaged cartilage anatomy prediction method provided accurate predictions while offering an efficient platform to conduct population-wide analyses of hip contact mechanics.

Can measurements from an anteroposterior radiograph predict pelvic sagittal inclination?

Pelvic sagittal inclination (PSI) is often evaluated in patients with hip pathology using lateral radiographs. However, it would be useful if PSI could be predicted from an anteroposterior radiograph since this film is ubiquitous in the evaluation of hip pathology. Herein, computer-modeling was applied to predict PSI from radiographic measurements assessed in the anteroposterior plane. Three-dimensional surface models of the pelvis, femur, and sacrum were reconstructed from computed tomography images of 50 women with hip dysplasia. This study cohort was selected as changes in PSI alter femoral head coverage, which is relevant to the diagnosis and treatment of hip dysplasia, a known cause of hip osteoarthritis. Five radiographic parameters commonly used to independently estimate PSI were evaluated after bone surfaces were projected to an anteroposterior plane, including the symphysis to sacrococcygeal joint distance (S-S distance), the pelvic foramen aspect ratio (PF ratio), the distance between the symphysis and a line connecting the femoral head centers (S-H distance), the sacro-femoral-pubic angle (SFP angle), and the pelvic vertical ratio (PVR). Regression models determined the ability of these parameters to predict PSI from -20° to 20° at 1° increment. All five parameters showed a strong correlation with the PSI (all r > 0.9). From the regression models, PSI was estimated with a median (maximum) absolute error of 3.6° (18.4°), 3.8° (17.7°), 5.2° (17.9°), 5.8° (28.8°), and 3.2° (23.5°) for the S-S distance, PF ratio, S-H distance, SFP angle, and PVR, respectively. The regression model for S-S distance had a mean slope of 2.18 that ranged from 1.98 to 2.41 when the sacrococcygeal joint was located superior to the symphysis. Results indicated that substantial errors occur when estimating the actual value of PSI from an anteroposterior radiograph. However, the change in PSI could be estimated from the S-S distance, which may aid surgeons to successfully increase head coverage through periacetabular osteotomy and to locate the acetabular cup in a functional position for total hip arthroplasty.

Validation of HR-pQCT against micro-CT for morphometric and biomechanical analyses: A review.

High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed-tomography (HR-pQCT) has the potential to become a powerful clinical assessment and diagnostic tool. Given the recent improvements in image resolution, from 82 to 61 µm, this technology may be used to accurately quantify in vivo bone microarchitecture, a key biomarker of degenerative bone diseases. However, computational methods to assess bone microarchitecture were developed for micro computed tomography (micro-CT), a higher-resolution technology only available for ex vivo studies, and validation of these computational analysis techniques against the gold-standard micro-CT has been inconsistent and incomplete. Herein, we review methods for segmentation of bone compartments and microstructure, quantification of bone morphology, and estimation of mechanical strength using finite-element analysis, highlighting the need throughout for improved standardization across the field. Studies have relied on homogenous datasets for validation, which does not allow for robust comparisons between methods. Consequently, the adaptation and validation of novel segmentation approaches has been slow to non-existent, with most studies still using the manufacturer's segmentation for morphometric analysis despite the existence of better performing alternative approaches. The promising accuracy of HR-pQCT for capturing morphometric indices is overshadowed by considerable variability in outcomes between studies. For finite element analysis (FEA) methods, the use of disparate material models and FEA tools has led to a fragmented ability to assess mechanical bone strength with HR-pQCT. Further, the scarcity of studies comparing 62 µm HR-pQCT to the gold standard micro-CT leaves the validation of this imaging modality incomplete. This review revealed that without standardization, the capabilities of HR-pQCT cannot be adequately assessed. The need for a public, extendable, heterogeneous dataset of HR-pQCT and corresponding gold-standard micro-CT images, which would allow HR-pQCT users to benchmark existing and novel methods and select optimal methods depending on the scientific question and data at hand, is now evident. With more recent advancements in HR-pQCT, the community must learn from its past and provide properly validated technologies to ensure that HR-pQCT can truly provide value in patient diagnosis and care.

In Vivo Pelvic and Hip Joint Kinematics in Patients With Cam Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Dual Fluoroscopy Study.

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) may alter the kinematic function of the hip, resulting in pain and tissue damage. Previous motion analysis studies of FAIS have employed skin markers, which are prone to soft tissue artifact and inaccurate calculation of the hip joint center. This may explain why the evidence linking FAIS with deleterious kinematics is contradictory. The purpose of this study was to employ dual fluoroscopy (DF) to quantify in vivo kinematics of patients with cam FAIS relative to asymptomatic, morphologically normal control participants during various activities. Eleven asymptomatic, morphologically normal controls and seven patients with cam FAIS were imaged with DF during standing, level walking, incline walking, and functional range of motion activities. Model-based tracking calculated the kinematic position of the hip by registering projections of three-dimensional computed tomography models with DF images. Patients with FAIS stood with their hip extended (mean [95% confidence interval], -2.2 [-7.4, 3.1]°, flexion positive), whereas controls were flexed (5.3 [2.6, 8.0]°; p = 0.013). Male patients with cam FAIS had less peak internal rotation than the male control participants during self-selected speed level-walking (-0.2 [-6.5, 6.1]° vs. -9.8 [-12.2, -7.3]°; p = 0.007) and less anterior pelvic tilt at heel-strike of incline (5°) walking (3.4 [-1.0, -7.9]° vs. 9.8 [6.4, 13.2]°; p = 0.032). Even during submaximal range of motion activities, such as incline walking, patients may alter pelvic motion to avoid positions that approximate the cam lesion and the acetabular labrum. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:823-833, 2020.