A hybrid image processing system for X-ray images of an external fixator

Abstract

In the field of orthopaedics, treatment of extremity deformities can be realised by means of external fixators. However, control of such biomedical system is very difficult. Some different mathematical models have been developed to improve quality of this service. Most of the parameters, which are used in these models, have been obtained from two orthogonal X-ray images: one from anteroposterior, AP, direction and the other from a lateral, L, direction. The quality of the results of this model is dependent on the accuracy of the input parameters. Measuring these parameters is a time-consuming issue, and the accuracy of the results is also low. To increase the quality of the measurement, the reference points should be chosen from the edges of the biomedical system, and it is important to find the edges without noise. To achieve this purpose, Sobel edge detector, binary large object analysis, thresholding and inverting are applied as image processing steps. The results are compared with manual measurement values which have been obtained earlier. The results show that semi-automatic measurement of the parameters is more accurate and faster than manual measurement. It shows that the efficiency of the fixator method has been improved.

Keywords:

• medical image processing
• X-ray
• fixator
• deformity correction
• biomechanical

Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by Çukurova University under Grant No. MMF 2009 YL20 and partially by Turkish Research and Science Council (TÜBİTAK) under Grant No 106M466.

Notes

1. Email: [email protected]

2. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Aydin

1

İ. D. Akçali

2