Systems and methods for emulating DEXA scores based on CT images

A system for estimating a at least one score representing a relation to bone mineral density (BMD) values in a population from 3D CT imaging data, comprising:

• an imaging interface for receiving 3D imaging data of a CT scan of a body of a patient containing at least a 3D bone portion;
• an output interface for communicating with a user interface;
• a code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium;
• and
• a processor coupled to the imaging interface, the output interface, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium for implementing the stored code, the code comprising:
• code to receive the 3D imaging data;
• code to segment the 3D bone portion from the 3D imaging data of the CT scan;
• code to compute at least one grade for the 3D bone portion based on pixel associated values from the 3D bone portion;
• code to correlate the at least one grade of the 3D bone portion with the at least one score representing the relation to BMD values in the population;
• and
• code to provide the at least one score correlated to the least one grade to the output interface for presentation on the user interface for diagnosis of at least one of abnormal BMD, osteoporosis, and osteopenia;
• wherein the at least one grade for the 3D bone portion is computed from a calculation of sub-grades performed for each one or a set of pixels having at least one of a common medial-lateral axial coordinate and a common cranial-caudal axial coordinate along a dorsal-ventral axis of a volume representation of the 3D imaging data of the CT scan.

A computer program product for estimating at least one score representing a relation to bone mineral density (BMD) values in a population from three dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) imaging data, comprising:

• a non-transitory memory having stored thereon a code for execution by at least one hardware processor, the code comprising instructions for:
• receiving 3D imaging data of a CT scan of a body of a patient containing at least a 3D bone portion;
• segmenting the 3D bone portion from the 3D imaging data of the CT scan;
• computing at least one grade for the 3D bone portion based on pixel associated values from the 3D bone portion;
• correlating the at least one grade of the 3D bone portion with the at least one score representing the relation to BMD values in the population,
• wherein the at least one grade for the 3D bone portion is computed from a calculation of sub-grades performed for each one or a set of pixels having at least one of a common medial-lateral axial coordinate and a common cranial-caudal axial coordinate along a dorsal-ventral axis of a volume representation of the 3D imaging data of the CT scan;
• and
• presenting the at least one score correlated to the least one grade on a presentation unit for diagnosis of at least one of abnormal BMD, osteoporosis, and osteopenia.