title: Generation of curved planar reformations from magnetic resonance images of the spine.
abstract: We present a novel method for curved planar reformation (CPR) of spine images obtained by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. CPR images, created via a transformation from image-based to spine-based coordinate system, follow the structural shape of the spine and allow the whole course of the curved structure to be viewed in a single image. The spine-based coordinate system is defined on the 3D spine curve and on the axial vertebral rotation, both described by polynomial models. The 3D spine curve passes through the centers of vertebral bodies, and the axial vertebral rotation determines the rotation of vertebral spinous processes around the spine. The optimal polynomial parameters are found in an optimization framework, based on image analysis. The method was evaluated on 19 MR images of the spine from 10 patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Slovenia. tomaz.vrtovec@fe.uni-lj.si
authors.forename: Tomaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vrtovec
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ourselin
authors.forename: Lavier
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Bostjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Likar
authors.forename: Franjo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pernus
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013131:Spine / Q000033:anatomy & histology*