Imaging Science in Dentistry  2015;45(1):7-13

doi:10.5624/isd.2015.45.1.7

Volumetric quantification of bone-implant contact using micro-computed tomography analysis based on region-based segmentation.

Sung Won KANG 1 ; Woo Jin LEE ; Soon Chul CHOI ; Sam Sun LEE ; Min Suk HEO ; Kyung Hoe HUH ; Tae Il KIM ; Won Jin YI

Affiliations

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Keywords

Absorbable Implants; Osseointegration; X-Ray Microtomography; Computer-Assisted Image Processing

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

PURPOSE: We have developed a new method of segmenting the areas of absorbable implants and bone using region-based segmentation of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images, which allowed us to quantify volumetric bone-implant contact (VBIC) and volumetric absorption (VA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The simple threshold technique generally used in micro-CT analysis cannot be used to segment the areas of absorbable implants and bone. Instead, a region-based segmentation method, a region-labeling method, and subsequent morphological operations were successively applied to micro-CT images. The three-dimensional VBIC and VA of the absorbable implant were then calculated over the entire volume of the implant. Two-dimensional (2D) bone-implant contact (BIC) and bone area (BA) were also measured based on the conventional histomorphometric method. RESULTS: VA and VBIC increased significantly with as the healing period increased (p<0.05). VBIC values were significantly correlated with VA values (p<0.05) and with 2D BIC values (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It is possible to quantify VBIC and VA for absorbable implants using micro-CT analysis using a region-based segmentation method.