Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Computer-Assisted Bone Age Assessment: Graphical User Interface for Image Processing and Comparison

  • Published:
Journal of Digital Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The current study is part of a project resulting in a computer-assisted analysis of a hand radiograph yielding an assessment of skeletal maturity. The image analysis is based on features selected from six regions of interest. At various stages of skeletal development different image processing problems have to be addressed. At the early stage, feature extraction is based on Lee filtering followed by the random Gibbs fields and mathematical morphology. Once the fusion starts, wavelet decomposition methods are implemented. The user interface displays the closest neighbors to each image under consideration. Results show the sensitivity of different regions to both stages of development and certain feature sensitivity within each region. At the early stage of development, the distal features are more reliable indicators, whereas at the stage of epiphyseal fusion, a larger dynamic range of middle features makes them more sensitive. In the current study, a graphical user interface has been designed and implemented for testing the image processing routines and comparing the results of quantitative image analysis with the visual interpretation of extracted regions of interest. The user interface may also serve as a teaching tool. At the later stage of the project it will be used as a classification tool.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. WW Greulich SI Pyle (1971) Radiographic Atlas of Skeletal Development of Hand Wrist EditionNumber2 Standford University Press Stanford, CA

    Google Scholar 

  2. JM Tanner RH Whitehouse (1975) Assessment of Skeletal Maturity and Prediction of Adult Height (TW2 Method) Academic Press London

    Google Scholar 

  3. GR Miler RK Levick R Kay (1986) ArticleTitleAssessment of bone age: A comparison of the Greulich and Pyle and the Tanner and Whitehouse methods Clin Radiol 37 119–121 Occurrence Handle3698492

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. AF Roch CG Rohmann GH Davila (1970) ArticleTitleEffect of training on replicability of assessment of skeletal maturity (Greulich–Pyle) AJR Am J Roentgenol, 108 511–515

    Google Scholar 

  5. JM Tanner RD Gibbons (1994) ArticleTitleAutomatic bone age measurement using computerized image analysis J Pediator Endocrinol 7 141–145 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:ByuA2c%2FgtF0%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. A Albanese C Hall R Stanhope (1995) ArticleTitleThe use of a computerized method of bone age assessment in clinical practice Horm Res 3 2–7

    Google Scholar 

  7. A Teunenbroek Particlevan W Waal Particlede A Rock et al. (1996) ArticleTitleComputer-aided skeletal age scores in healthy children, girls with Turner syndrome, and in children with constitutionally tall stature Pediatr Res 39 360–367 Occurrence Handle8825813

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. J Duryea Y Jiang P Countryman HK Genant (1999) ArticleTitleAutomated algorithm for the identification of joint space and phalanx margin location on digital hand radiographs Med, Phys 26 453–461

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dickhaus H, Habich R, Wastl S, et al: A PC-based system for bone age assessment. In proceedings of the EMBEC ‘99, Vienna, Medical Imaging IV, 1999, pp 1008–1009

  10. Al-Taani AT, Ricketts IW, Cairns AY: Classification of Hand Bones for Bone Age Assessment. In Proceedings of the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems (ICECS ‘96), October 1996, Greece, Vol 2, pp 1088–1091 (ISBN 0-7803-3650-X (softbound) and ISBN 0-7803-3651-8 (microfiche)

  11. ND Efford (1993) ArticleTitleKnowledge-based segmentation and feature analysis of hand and wrist radiographs proc SPIE 1905 596–608 Occurrence Handlefull_text||10.1117/12.148672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. E Pietka HK Huang (1997) Image processing techniques in bone age assessment CT Leondes (Eds) Image Processing Techniques and Applications Gordon & Breach Publishers, Inc. London 221–272

    Google Scholar 

  13. F Cao HK Huang E Pietka et al. (2000) ArticleTitleDesign and implementation of a digital hand atlas for Web-based bone age assessment Radiology 217 IssueIDP 685 Occurrence Handle11110929

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. F Cao HK Huang E Pietka et al. (2000) ArticleTitleA digital hand atlas for Web-based bone age assessment: System design and implementation SPIE Med Imaging 3976 297–307

    Google Scholar 

  15. E Pietka S PoÅ›piech A Gertych et al. (2001) ArticleTitleComputerized approach to the extraction of epiphyseal regions in hand radiographs J Digital Imaging 14 IssueID14 165–172 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD387mtlGnsQ%3D%3D

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. JS Lim (1990) NoChapterTitle Two Dimensional Signal & Image processing Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, UJ 536–540

    Google Scholar 

  17. S Banks (1990) Signal Processing, Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Prentice-Hall Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  18. T Pappas (1992) ArticleTitleAn adaptive segmentation algorithm for image segmentation IEEE Trans, Signal Proc. 40 IssueID4 901–914

    Google Scholar 

  19. E Saber A Murat Tekalp G Bozdagi (1997) ArticleTitleFusion of color and edge information for improved segmentation and edge linking Image Vision Comput 15 769–780 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0262-8856(97)00019-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. E Pietka A Gertych S PoÅ›piech et al. (2001) ArticleTitleComputer assisted bone age assessment: Image preprocessing and ROI extraction, IEEE Trans Med. Imaging 20 IssueID8 715–729 Occurrence Handle10.1109/42.938240 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:DC%2BD3Mvmslyiug%3D%3D

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. SG Mallat (1989) ArticleTitleA theory for multiresolution signal decomposition: the wavelet representation IEEE Trans Patt Anal Mach. Int 11 IssueID7 674–693 Occurrence Handle10.1109/34.192463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. S Mallat S Zhong (1992) ArticleTitleCharacterization of signals from multiscale edges IEEE Trans-Patt, Anal, Mach, Int. 14 IssueID7 710–732

    Google Scholar 

  23. PoÅ›piech S: Assessment of epiphyseal fusion by means of wavelet transform. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Control and Information Technology, IWCIT’99 Ostrava, 1999, pp 248–254

  24. Pośpiech S, Gertych A, Pietka E, et al: Wavelet decomposition based features in description of epiphyseal fusion. In: Analysis of biomedical signals and images. Proceedings of BIOSIGNAL, Brno, 2000, pp 246–248 Vutium Press

  25. G Wouwer ParticleVan de P Scheunders D Dyck ParticleVan (1999) ArticleTitleStatistical texture characterization from discrete wavelet representations IEEE Trans Med, Imaging 8 IssueID4 592–598

    Google Scholar 

  26. DR Kirks (1984) NoChapterTitle Practical Pediatric Imaging. Diagnostic Radiology of Infants and Children EditionNumberI Little, Brown Boston/Toronto 198–201

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported in part by KBN 7711C 03320 and in part by NIH Grant No.ROI-LM06270.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Division of Biomedical Electronics, Institute of Electronics, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland

    Ewa Pietka Ph.D., D.Sc., Arkadiusz Gertych M.S. & Sylwia Pospiech–Kurkowska M.S.

  2. Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA

    Fei Cao Ph.D., H.K. Huang D.Sc. & Vincente Gilzanz M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Ewa Pietka Ph.D., D.Sc.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arkadiusz Gertych M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sylwia Pospiech–Kurkowska M.S.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Fei Cao Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. H.K. Huang D.Sc.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Vincente Gilzanz M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ewa Pietka Ph.D., D.Sc..

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pietka, E., Gertych, A., Pospiech–Kurkowska, S. et al. Computer-Assisted Bone Age Assessment: Graphical User Interface for Image Processing and Comparison. J Digit Imaging 17, 175–188 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-004-1006-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-004-1006-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation