Bone Growth Stage Analysis Using Skeletal Maturity Index and Bone Age Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining bone growth stages from medical images are imprecise due to variations in growth stage changes and indistinct structural shapes, making it difficult to accurately assess adolescent growth stages and provide appropriate treatments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that acquire medical images, detect regions of interest, calculate skeletal maturity indices, and use correlation information between bone ages and growth stages to determine a final bone growth stage, incorporating artificial intelligence for precise calculations and potential corrections based on bone age analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If SMI assessment is used to classify growth stages based on structural shape, then growth stages can be classified conveniently and rapidly, but the structural shape of each part is too indistinctly detected to determine bone maturity stage precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bone structure analysis into multiple specific regions of interest (metacarpal bones, phalanges, radius) and evaluates each segment's structural characteristics separately. This segmentation allows the system to focus on specific bone regions with distinct growth patterns, improving detection precision while maintaining efficient classification through automated region-by-region assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional structural shape assessment to three-dimensional volumetric analysis of bone regions. By calculating volume ratios and analyzing spatial relationships in 3D space, the system achieves more precise bone maturity detection while maintaining computational efficiency through automated volumetric measurements.
2Productivity
If bone maturity is quantified based on structural shape of multiple bones, then growth stages can be classified rapidly, but the time of change in growth stage varies depending on the subject making precise determination difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system calculates bone maturity indices for multiple bone regions, compares them against reference ranges, and iteratively refines the growth stage determination. The system uses the calculated maturity indices to adjust and optimize the classification, ensuring accurate determination despite individual variation in growth timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal assessment system that evaluates multiple bone regions (metacarpals, phalanges, radius) simultaneously using a unified methodology. This multi-functional approach allows the system to capture growth patterns across different bones, providing reliable growth stage determination that accounts for individual variation in growth timing.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone growth stage analysis method according to an embodiment of the present application includes acquiring a medical image including a bone region, detecting regions of interest in the medical image, calculating a skeletal maturity index for each of the regions of interest, calculating a temporary growth stage on the basis of the skeletal maturity index, calculating a bone age from an entire area of the medical image, acquiring correlation information between bone ages and bone growth stages and calculating a reference growth stage corresponding to the calculated bone age using the correlation information, and calculating final bone growth stage information on the basis of the temporary growth stage and the reference growth stage.