While advanced imaging strategies have improved the diagnosis of bone-related pathologies, early signs of bone alterations remain difficult to detect. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought attention to the need for a better understanding of bone micro-scale toughening and weakening phenomena. This study used an artificial intelligence-based tool to automatically investigate and validate four clinical hypotheses by examining osteocyte lacunae on a large scale with synchrotron image-guided failure assessment. The findings indicate that trabecular bone features exhibit intrinsic variability related to external loading, micro-scale bone characteristics affect fracture initiation and propagation, osteoporosis signs can be detected at the micro-scale through changes in osteocyte lacunar features, and Covid-19 worsens micro-scale porosities in a statistically significant manner similar to the osteoporotic condition. Incorporating these findings with existing clinical and diagnostic tools could prevent micro-scale damages from progressing into critical fractures.
Osteoporosis and Covid-19: Detected similarities in bone lacunar-level alterations via combined AI and advanced synchrotron testing / Buccino, F.; Zagra, L.; Longo, E.; D'Amico, L.; Banfi, G.; Berto, F.; Tromba, G.; Vergani, L. M.. - In: MATERIALS & DESIGN. - ISSN 0264-1275. - 231:(2023). [10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112087]
Osteoporosis and Covid-19: Detected similarities in bone lacunar-level alterations via combined AI and advanced synchrotron testing
Berto F.;Vergani L. M.
2023
Abstract
While advanced imaging strategies have improved the diagnosis of bone-related pathologies, early signs of bone alterations remain difficult to detect. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought attention to the need for a better understanding of bone micro-scale toughening and weakening phenomena. This study used an artificial intelligence-based tool to automatically investigate and validate four clinical hypotheses by examining osteocyte lacunae on a large scale with synchrotron image-guided failure assessment. The findings indicate that trabecular bone features exhibit intrinsic variability related to external loading, micro-scale bone characteristics affect fracture initiation and propagation, osteoporosis signs can be detected at the micro-scale through changes in osteocyte lacunar features, and Covid-19 worsens micro-scale porosities in a statistically significant manner similar to the osteoporotic condition. Incorporating these findings with existing clinical and diagnostic tools could prevent micro-scale damages from progressing into critical fractures.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.