| OCR Text |
Show SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ABSTRACTS Jared S. Fredrickson Alex J. Drew KentN.Bachus HUMERAL MORPHOLOGY: ANALYSIS OF THE CORTICAL THICKNESS AND MEDULLARY CANAL DIAMETER OF THE HUMERUS Jared S. Fredrickson, Alex J. Drew (Kent N. Bachus) Department of Orthopaedics University of Utah Introduction: In the United States it is estimated that 185,000 people have a major limb amputated each yearl. The Army Office of the Surgeon General reported that between September 2001 and January 2009 there were 1,286 limbs amputated in military conflicts2. The goal of this project is to better understand the morphology of the humerus in order to develop more advanced technology for upper limb amputees. The shape and size of the medullary canal and cortical thickness of the h u m a n humerus are two important characteristics that can be useful in the characterization of mechanical properties, bone health, and most importantly the development of percutaneous osseointegrated implants. Methods: Twenty fresh frozen human humeri were obtained and CT scans with size calibration were taken. From the C T images the cortical bone was defined using image processing software and common segmentation techniques. Once the cortical bone was defined the images were converted into 2D binary images. From these images the cortical index(CI) and percent area of the medullary canal measurements were taken. Results: The project is still in the data collection and processing stage and final results are pending. of preliminary data show that the hypothesis being tested m a y prove to be correct. Initial findings indicate a decrease in average CI with age and an increased average percent area of the medullary canal with age. Initial findings also show that there is a significant decrease in the cortical index along the length of the humerus and that there m a y be age related site specific decreases in cortical index. Discussion: The results of this study will aid in the advancement of technology for upper limb amputees including percutaneous osseointegrated implants. They will also help characterize the morphological changes that occur in the humerus as one ages and possibly help explain conditions that cause these changes. References: 1. Owings M, Kozak L Ambulatory and inpatient procedures in the United States, 1996. Vital Health Stat 13(139):1 -119,1998. 2. Fischer H: United States military casualty statistics: Operation Iraqi freedom and operation enduring freedom. In: CRS Report for Congress. Congressional Research Service, CRS1-5,2008. |
