Local Binary Patterns to Evaluate Trabecular Bone Structure from Micro-CT Data: Application to Studies of Human Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes progressive degeneration of articular cartilage and pathological changes in subchondral bone. These changes can be assessed volumetrically using micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging. The local descriptor, i.e. local binary pattern (LBP), is a new alternative solution to perform analysis of local bone structures from μCT scans. In this study, different trabecular bone samples were prepared from patients diagnosed with OA and treated with total knee arthroplasty. The LBP descriptor was applied to correlate the distribution of local patterns with the severity of the disease. The results obtained suggest the appearance and disappearance of specific oriented patterns with OA, as an adaptation of the bone to the decrease of cartilage thickness. The experimental results suggest that the LBP descriptor can be used to assess the changes in the trabecular bone due to OA.