Investigating the relationship between fat, bone and muscle

Summary Osteoporosis, sarcopenia, frailty, falls and fractures in older Australians are a huge burden on the economy and health system. There is a great opportunity to address the issue by investigating how changes in the musculoskeletal system can lead to the weakening of our bones and muscles as we age; and how we can prevent falls and fractures by understanding such changes.

Project Details

Osteoporosis, sarcopenia, frailty, falls and fractures in older Australians are a huge burden on the economy and health system. There is a great opportunity to address the issue by investigating how changes in the musculoskeletal system can lead to the weakening of our bones and muscles as we age; and how we can prevent falls and fractures by understanding such changes.

Using 3D CT scans of the musculoskeletal system, we will study and determine how the bone, muscle and fat interact and can influence the occurrence of falls and fractures.  This research is computer-based and involves learning image analysis and elementary statistics.