title: [Reconstruction of a digital three-dimensional model of the rectum and the surrounding structures based on CT angiographic data].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reconstruct a digital three-dimensional model of the rectum and the surrounding structures based on CT angiographic (CTA) data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on air pressure enema and CTA, the chest T12 level to upper portion of the femur of a healthy volunteer was scanned with 64-slice spiral CT in the arterial phase and venous phase. The rectum and the surrounding structures were reconstructed with Mimics software based on the two-dimensional images of 856 consecutive layers obtained by Dicom 3.0 standard CT. The model was validated using finite element analysis software.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The established three-dimensional digital model allowed clear visualization of such structures of the lumbar vertebrae, pelvis, femur, abdominal aorta, internal iliac artery, external iliac artery, branches of the external iliac artery, skin, rectum, the colons, part of the small intestines, and the urinary bladder and prostate. The application of thin-layer CT and Dicom 3.0 standard renders better accuracy of the established digital model, which can provide a platform for surgical skill training and teaching of anatomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. yujingl@163.net
authors.forename: Jin-long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zong-hai
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fu