A new method for three-dimensional skeleton graph analysis of porous media: application to trabecular bone microarchitecture

This paper introduces a new three-dimensional analysis of complex disordere d porous media. Skeleton graph analysis is described and applied to trabecu lar bone images obtained by high resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Thi s technique was developed bearing in mind topological considerations. The c orrespondence between vertices and branches of the skeleton graph and trabe culae is used in order to get local information on trabecular bone microarc hitecture. In addition to real topological parameters, local structural inf ormation about trabeculae, such as length and volume distributions, are obt ained. This method is applied to two sets of samples: six osteoporosis and six osteoarthritis bone samples. We demonstrate that skeleton graph analysi s is a powerful technique to describe trabecular bone microarchitecture.