Cortical thickness estimation of the proximal femur from multi-view Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)

Hip fracture is the leading cause of acute orthopaedic hospital admission amongst the elderly, with around a third of patients not surviving one year post-fracture. Although various preventative therapies are available, patient selection is difficult. The current state-of-the-art risk assessment tool (FRAX) ignores focal structural defects, such as cortical bone thinning, a critical component in characterizing hip fragility. Cortical thickness can be measured using CT, but this is expensive and involves a significant radiation dose. Instead, Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) is currently the preferred imaging modality for assessing hip fracture risk and is used routinely in clinical practice. Our ambition is to develop a tool to measure cortical thickness using multi-view DXA instead of CT. In this initial study, we work with digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) derived from CT data as a surrogate for DXA scans: this enables us to compare directly the thickness estimates with the gold standard CT results. Our approach involves a model-based femoral shape reconstruction followed by a data-driven algorithm to extract numerous cortical thickness point estimates. In a series of experiments on the shaft and trochanteric regions of 48 proximal femurs, we validated our algorithm and established its performance limits using 20 views in the range 0°-171°: estimation errors were 0:19 ± 0:53mm (mean +/- one standard deviation). In a more clinically viable protocol using four views in the range 0°-51°, where no other bony structures obstruct the projection of the femur, measurement errors were -0:07 ± 0:79 mm. © 2013 SPIE.

Measurements of thermal radiation in ultralight metal foams with open cells

Highly porous ultralightweight cellular metal foams with open cells have attractive mechanical, thermal, acoustic and other properties and are currently being exploited for high-temperature applications (e.g. acoustic liners for combustion chambers). In such circumstances, thermal radiation in the metal foam becomes a significant mechanism of heat transfer. This paper presents results from experimental measurements on radiative transfer in Fe-Cr-Al-Y (a steel-based high-temperature alloy) foams having high porosity (95 per cent) and different cell sizes, manufactured at low cost from the sintering route. The spectral transmittance and reflectance are measured at different infrared wavelengths ranging from 2.5 to 50 μm, which are subsequently used to determine the extinction coefficient and foam emissivity. The results show that the spectral quantities are strongly dependent on the wavelength, particularly in the short-wavelength regime (less than 25 μm). While the extinction coefficient decreases with increasing cell size, the effect of cell size on foam reflectance is not significant. When the temperature is increased, the total extinction coefficient increases but the total reflectance decreases. The effective radiative conductivity of the metal foam is obtained by using the guarded hot-plate apparatus. With the porosity fixed, the effective radiative conductivity increases with increasing cell size and increasing temperature. © IMechE 2004.

Thermal radiation in ultralight metal foams with open cells

This paper presents results from experimental measurements on radiative transfer in FeCrAlY (a steel based high temperature alloy) foams having high porosity (95%) and different cell sizes, manufactured at low cost from the sintering route. The spectral transmittance and reflectance are measured at different infrared wavelengths ranging from 2.5 to 50 μm, which are subsequently used to determine the extinction coefficient and foam emissivity. The results show that the spectral quantities are strongly dependent on the wavelength, particularly in the short wavelength regime (<25 μm). Whilst the extinction coefficient decreases with increasing cell size, the effect of cell size on foam reflectance is not significant. When the temperature is increased, the total extinction coefficient increases but the total reflectance decreases. An analytical model based on geometric optics laws, diffraction theory and metal foam morphology is developed to predict the radiative transfer, with cell size (or cell ligament diameter) and porosity identified as the two key parameters that dictate the foam radiative properties. Close agreement between the predicted effective foam conductivity due to radiation alone and that measured is observed. At fixed porosity, the radiative conductivity of the metal foam increases with increasing cell size and temperature. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved.