Data base to aid the research on bone age estimation

• Grant number: 07/04081-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2007
• End date: August 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Evandro Luis Linhari Rodrigues
• Grantee: Evandro Luis Linhari Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of computational techniques in the determination of the bone age estimation through the radiographic image of the hand and wrist (carpal radiographic) comes growing significantly, through the implementation of algorithms based on the classic methods of bone age estimation as Greulich & Pyle, Tanner & Whitehouse and Eklof & Ringertz. The analysis carried through in the traditional form, that is, without the computational aid, is subjective, change with the experience of the radiologists and it is timing consuming for the evaluation of all the bones, or all the regions, depending on the method. With the computational aid, the skeletal structures of interest can be enhanced and dimensional measures can be achieved, thus facilitating the analysis. There is great necessity of a data base that concentrates and make available by the Web relative information to this context as images for tests, referential images with medical certified for validation of procedures, algorithms for radiographic image processing, bibliographical references, links on correlated subjects, etc.. The construction of a reference data base in this area, available through the net for the specialists and for researchers, it will offer standard material and brought up to date so that the research in this area continues, contributing so that the radiologists analysis could be more precise, less subjective and faster, also allowing to the execution of collaborative works and the sharing of resources through the net. Moreover, this project has the objective of make available information that have been congregated through the contribution of research centers that contain them of isolated form, as for example the Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru-USP, the Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba-Unicamp, among others. (AU)