Image Processing Threshold of Acetabulum Porosity for Age Estimation

This study explores the use of digital image processing to estimate age based on the porosity of the acetabulum, a part of the hip bone. By analyzing grayscale images of the acetabulum, the research aims to develop a standardized method for bone age estimation. The study focuses on optimizing the threshold value used to distinguish between bone tissue and porosity. Images from 99 male pelvic bones, aged 26 to 97, were analyzed. The results indicate that the mean – 1.0 SD threshold provides the most reliable age estimation, with an average error margin of 12.9 to 13.9 years. This method offers a promising alternative to traditional expert evaluations, which often have a similar error margin.