- University of Sheffield scientists are developing digital twins of children’s leg and rib bones to better understand the causes of childhood fractures
- Digital models could revolutionise how children’s bones are studied and reduce the thousands of fractures suffered by children every year
- Researchers will study the impact that vitamin D has on paediatric bone strength, gathering vital insights to help doctors spot abnormal changes earlier
The ChildBone project, led by the University’s Insigneo Institute in collaboration with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, is developing digital twins of children’s thigh bone and ribs to revolutionise how children’s bones are studied.
The initiative could help to reduce the number of childhood fractures – almost half a million a year in England alone – and advance our understanding of the structure and function of developing bones in children.
The models will be built by researchers in the University of Sheffield’s Insigneo Institute, who are experts in biomedical imaging, using CT and MRI images from patients at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Staff at Sheffield Children’s will work with researchers to obtain and interpret the bone scans.
Following £1.2 million funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Sheffield researchers will use the digital twins to examine the effect of vitamin D on bone strength between the ages of 0-16 years.
Researchers will assess vitamin D levels across three sample groups, spanning a range from normal to very low. They will then compare the predicted bone strength, using the models, between the groups to identify any potential differences. The study aims to advance our understanding of skeletal development, determine the vitamin D level at which bone strength is affected, and generate a dataset for sharing with other institutions to support further studies.
Dr Xinshan Li, Project Lead, Senior Lecturer in the University of Sheffield’s School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, and member of the Insigneo Institute, said: “There hasn't been enough research to fully understand the mechanical properties of children's bones and their fracture patterns. This includes establishing baseline ‘normal’ properties and how these might differ in children with a vitamin D deficiency.”
Professor Amaka Offiah, Project Clinical Lead, Professor of Paediatric Musculoskeletal Imaging at the University of Sheffield, Consultant Paediatric Radiologist at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and member of the Insigneo Institute, said: “This project marks an important step in understanding the effects of reduced levels of vitamin D on the strength of children’s bones before any abnormal changes are seen on x-rays. This is vital in determining the cause of and preventing fractures in children.”
The Insigneo Institute is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Established in 2012, the institute has built a strong multidisciplinary network of over 400 academics, researchers and clinicians who bring together expertise in biomedical imaging, healthcare data, computational modelling, and digital healthcare technologies.
Insigneo drives innovative research at the interface of healthcare, engineering and science to transform health.
For more information visit the Insigneo website.
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