Estimation of Bone Age from Radiological Images with Machine Learning

Year 2021, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 119 - 126, 31.08.2021

Nida Gökçe Narin , İbrahim Önder Yeniçeri , Gamze Yüksel

Abstract

Bone age estimation (BAE) is important in the diagnosis of endocrinological problems and forensic issues. Greulich and Pyle (GP) method is widely used for BAE. But it has relatively high intraobserver and interobserver variability. For this reason, automation-based systems independent of experts have started to be developed in estimating bone age. We aimed to compare bone age estimation performances of machine learning based classification methods. A total of 388 boys and 387 girls between the age of 12-108 months were included in the study. In Cohort wrist radiographs, the ratio of bone area to the entire wrist area was calculated for each case, and the cases were classified with quarterly intervals. This is considered as a database and the test data has been tested with this database. We used the estimation models which are based on Machine learning (ML) for BAE. The predicted performances of the models created by using Weka interface were compared with chronological age. Moreover, whether there is a statistically significant difference between the predictive performance of the methods was tested by the Friedman test. As a result, it was observed that bone age estimation performed with ML methods for girls was significantly correlative with chronological age. A significant difference was found between GP and chronological age. The results obtained from this study showed that ML-based classification methods have high success in predicting bone age. Therefore, we suggest that ML classification models can be used to predict bone age.

Keywords

Bone Age Estimation, Machine Learning, Wrist Radiography

Supporting Institution

This paper has been granted by the Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University Research Projects Coordination Office.

Project Number

Project Grant Number: 17/217

Makine Öğrenmesi ile Radyolojik Görüntülerden Kemik Yaşı Tahmini

Abstract

Kemik yaşı tahmini, endokrinolojik sorunların ve adli sorunların tanısında önemlidir. Greulich ve Pyle (GP) yöntemi kemik yaşı tahmini için yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır. Ancak, gözlemcinin kendisi ve gözlemciler arası nispeten yüksek bir değişkenliğe sahiptir. Bu nedenle, kemik yaşının hesaplanmasında uzmanlardan bağımsız otomasyon tabanlı sistemler geliştirilmeye başlanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, makine öğrenimine dayalı sınıflandırma yöntemlerinin kemik yaşı tahmin performanslarını karşılaştırmayı amaçladık. Çalışmaya 12-108 aylık 388 erkek ve 387 kız dahil edildi. Cohort el bilek grafilerinde kemik alanın tüm el bilek alanına oranı her olgu için hesaplandı ve olgular üçer aylık intervaller ile sınıflandırıldı. Bu, veri tabanı olarak kabul edilip test verisi bu veri tabanı ile test edildi. Kemik yaşı tahmini için makine öğrenmesine (ML) dayanan tahmin modellerini kullandık. Weka ara yüzü kullanılarak oluşturulan modellerin tahmini performansları kronolojik yaş ile karşılaştırıldı. Ayrıca yöntemlerin öngörücü performansı arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark olup olmadığı Friedman testi ile test edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, kız çocukları için ML yöntemleriyle yapılan kemik yaşı tahmininin kronolojik yaş ile anlamlı derecede ilişkili olduğu gözlenmiştir. GP ve kronolojik yaş arasında anlamlı bir fark bulundu. Bu çalışmadan elde edilen sonuçlar, ML tabanlı sınıflandırma yöntemlerinin kemik yaşını tahmin etmede yüksek başarı gösterdiğini göstermiştir. Bu nedenle, ML sınıflandırma modellerinin kemik yaşını tahmin etmek için kullanılabileceğini önermekteyiz.

Keywords

Bilek Radyografisi, Kemik Yaşı Tahmini, Makine Öğrenmesi

Project Number

Project Grant Number: 17/217

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