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Abstract #0793

Characterization of Trabecular Orientation in Chicken Femur by Multi-Directional SPENT (Sub-Pixel Enhancement of Non-Uniform Tissue)

Bailiang Chen1, Bernard Siow2, David Carmichael1,3, Freddy Odille2, Roger Ordidge1, Andrew Todd-Pokropek1

1Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom; 2Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, United Kingdom; 3Institute of Neurology , University College London, London, United Kingdom


The recently proposed SPENT sequence can provide direction specific information based on the sub-voxel structural uniformity of a sample. Analogous to diffusion tensor imaging, given a voxel with a local anisotropic structure (e.g. trabecular bone), it is possible to characterize the orientation of sub-pixel micro-structure by applying SPENT with multiple directions. A 6-direction SPENT series was applied to a chicken femur head in order to characterize its trabecular bone orientation by reconstructing a 2D tensor in each voxel. Both tensor statistics and eigensystems were computed and showed good qualitative agreement with data from a subsequent micro-CT acquisitions.