Skeletonization: Theory, Methods and Applications is a comprehensive reference on skeletonization, written by the world's leading researchers in the field. The book presents theory, methods, algorithms and their evaluation, together with applications. Skeletonization is used in many image processing and computer vision applications such as shape recognition and analysis, shape decomposition and character recognition, as well as medical imaging for pulmonary, cardiac, mammographic applications. Part I includes theories and methods unique to skeletonization. Part II includes novel applications including skeleton-based characterization of human trabecular bone micro-architecture, image registration and correspondence establishment in anatomical structures, skeleton-based fast, fully automated generation of vessel tree structure for clinical evaluation of blood vessel systems. - Offers a complete picture of skeletonization and its application to image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition and biomedical engineering - Provides an in-depth presentation on various topics of skeletonization, including principles, theory, methods, algorithms, evaluation and real-life applications - Discusses distance-analysis, geometry, topology, scale and symmetry-analysis in the context of object understanding and analysis using medial axis and skeletonization