Skeletal 3-D CT: advantages of volume rendering over surface rendering.
Both surface rendering and volume rendering have been extensively applied to CT data for 3-D visualization of skeletal pathology. The review illustrates potential limitations of each technique by directly comparing 3-D images of bone pathology created using volume rendering and surface rendering. Surface rendering show gross 3-D relationships most effectively, but suffer from more stairstep artifacts and fail to effectively display lesions hidden behind overlying bone or located beneath the bone cortex. Volume-rendering algorithms effectively show subcortical lesions, minimally displaced fractures, and hidden areas of interest with few artifacts. Volume algorithms show 3-D relationships with varying degrees of success depending on the degree of surface shading and opacity. While surface rendering creates more three-dimensionally realistic images of the bone surface, it may be of limited clinical utility due to numerous artifacts and the inability to show subcortical pathology. Volume rendering is a flexible 3-D technique that effectively displays a variety of skeletal pathology with few artifacts.
Kuszyk
B S
BS
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Heath
D G
DG
Bliss
D F
DF
Fishman
E K
EK
D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*