Advances and Challenges in Bone Imaging

A special issue of Journal of Imaging (ISSN 2313-433X). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Imaging".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 1224

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Hand Surgery Unit, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6423906, Israel
Interests: wrist; hand; elbow; trauma; e-scooter; fracture; 3D; arthroscopy
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bone imaging plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal conditions, metabolic diseases, and malignancies. This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge research and novel techniques across various bone imaging modalities, including radiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and emerging approaches. We invite original research articles, reviews, and technical notes exploring the latest innovations, challenges, and future directions in bone imaging. Through this Special Issue, we aim to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, driving further advancements in this crucial field.

Topics of interest encompass the following:

  • advanced acquisition and reconstruction methods for high-resolution imaging;
  • quantitative biomarkers for bone health assessment;
  • artificial intelligence applications in image analysis;
  • multimodal imaging of bone pathologies;
  • evaluation of bone microarchitecture and metabolism, functional, and molecular imaging, etc.

Dr. Shai Factor
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • bone imaging
  • CT
  • MRI
  • medical imaging

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1980 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the First Metacarpal Bone Head and Distal Radius Bone Architecture Using Fractal Analysis of Adolescent Hand–Wrist Radiographs
by Kader Azlağ Pekince and Adem Pekince
J. Imaging 2025, 11(3), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging11030082 - 13 Mar 2025
Viewed by 411
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in bone trabecular structure during adolescence using the fractal analysis (FA) method on hand–wrist radiographs (HWRs) and to evaluate the relationship of these changes with pubertal growth stages. HWRs of healthy individuals aged 8–18 [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in bone trabecular structure during adolescence using the fractal analysis (FA) method on hand–wrist radiographs (HWRs) and to evaluate the relationship of these changes with pubertal growth stages. HWRs of healthy individuals aged 8–18 years were included (N = 600). Pubertal stages were determined by the Fishman method and divided into 10 groups (early puberty [EP], pre-peak [PRPK], peak [PK], post-peak [PTPK], late puberty [LP]). FA was performed using FIJI (ImageJ) software and the BoneJ plugin on circular regions of interest (ROIs) selected from the first metacarpal bone head and distal radius. Image processing steps were applied according to the White and Rudolph method. Differences between groups were statistically evaluated. Fractal dimension (FD) values of the distal radius (RAFAM) and metacarpal bone head (MAFAM) showed significant differences according to pubertal growth stages (p < 0.05). The highest FD value was observed in the LP group, and the lowest FD value was observed in the EP group (except MAFAM in females). FD generally increased from EP to LP in the whole population, but a significant decrease was observed in all groups during the PK period. This decrease was more pronounced in RAFAM of males. These findings suggest a potential decrease of bone mechanical properties in the PK, which is found the be more suitable for orthodontic treatment in the literature. FA on HWRs is a useful and sensitive tool for quantitatively assessing pubertal changes in trabecular bone microarchitecture. The findings demonstrate a significant decrease in FD in both bone regions during the pubertal growth spurt, particularly at the peak period. This may indicate a temporary reduction in bone mechanical strength during this critical stage and could contribute to increased distal radius fracture incidence. Clinically, the relationship between FD and pubertal stages suggests this method could serve as a valuable biomarker in orthodontic treatment planning, allowing for optimized timing of interventions. Furthermore, it may aid in pediatric fracture risk assessment, potentially leading to preventative strategies for high-risk individuals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Bone Imaging)
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12 pages, 4197 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Trabecular Bone Volume with Dual-Echo Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Significantly Correlates with High-Resolution Computed Tomography (CT)
by Karen Y. Cheng, Dina Moazamian, Behnam Namiranian, Hamidreza Shaterian Mohammadi, Salem Alenezi, Christine B. Chung and Saeed Jerban
J. Imaging 2025, 11(2), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging11020057 - 13 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Trabecular bone architecture has important implications for the mechanical strength of bone. Trabecular elements appear as signal void when imaged utilizing conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI can acquire high signal from trabecular bone, allowing for quantitative evaluation. [...] Read more.
Trabecular bone architecture has important implications for the mechanical strength of bone. Trabecular elements appear as signal void when imaged utilizing conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI can acquire high signal from trabecular bone, allowing for quantitative evaluation. However, the trabecular morphology is often disturbed in UTE-MRI due to chemical shift artifacts caused by the presence of fat in marrow. This study aimed to evaluate a UTE-MRI technique to estimate the trabecular bone volume fraction (BVTV) without requiring trabecular-level morphological assessment. A total of six cadaveric distal tibial diaphyseal trabecular bone cubes were scanned using a dual-echo UTE Cones sequence (TE = 0.03 and 2.2 ms) on a clinical 3T MRI scanner and on a micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanner. The BVTV was calculated from 10 consecutive slices on both the MR and μCT images. BVTV calculated from the MR images showed strongly significant correlation with the BVTV determined from μCT images (R = 0.84, p < 0.01), suggesting that UTE-MRI is a feasible technique for the assessment of trabecular bone microarchitecture. This would allow for the non-invasive assessment of information regarding bone strength, and UTE-MRI may potentially serve as a novel tool for assessment of fracture risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Bone Imaging)
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