Automatic extraction of vertebral landmarks from ultrasound images

Abstract

Some forms of myopathies such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy cause a progressive degeneration of the patient's muscles. This results in the development of scoliosis, which increases in severity over time. The clinical standard for monitoring scoliosis is to perform anX-ray on a regular basis. Unfortunately, repeated exposure to X-rays is harmful to the patient's health. Ultrasound imaging is a radiation-free modality that uses ultrasound (US) waves. However, the interpretation of vertebral ultrasound images is often difficult due to the variable quality of the image. In order to tackle this challenge, we present a method to localize the vertebrae on US images automatically. The validation of this reproducible approach suggests that it would be possible, in the long term, to replace part of the X-ray exams by US imaging.