Microdensitometric analysis of bone structures in X-ray images.

The careful evaluation of bony structure is important in the study of normal bone and bone disorders. This study describes bony structure as seen in the X-ray pattern of the phalanges of the hand using quantitative microdensitometry. Normalised scans of bony density show the regular and irregular distribution of the trabeculae. Two properties were determined from these densitometric findings: the mean transverse coarseness (C) indicating fluctuations of horizontal density and the overall standard deviation indicating axial homogeneity (H). This investigation demonstrates the applicability of the method: it shows a significant correlation with radiological diagnosis and that microdensitometry is a reliable method for quantifying the coarseness and homogeneity of bone structure.