title: Three-dimensional stereotactic atlas of the adult human skull correlated with the brain, cranial nerves, and intracranial vasculature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the adult human skull is a complex and multifunctional structure, its 3D, complete, realistic, and stereotactic atlas has not yet been created. This work addresses the construction of a 3D interactive atlas of the adult human skull spatially correlated with the brain, cranial nerves, and intracranial vasculature.
  
  
  METHODS
  The process of atlas construction included computed tomography (CT) high-resolution scan acquisition, skull extraction, skull parcellation, 3D disarticulated bone surface modeling, 3D model simplification, brain-skull registration, 3D surface editing, 3D surface naming and color-coding, integration of the CT-derived 3D bony models with the existing brain atlas, and validation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The virtual skull model created is complete with all 29 bones, including the auditory ossicles (being among the smallest bones). It contains all typical bony features and landmarks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The created skull model is superior to the existing skull models in terms of completeness, realism, and integration with the brain along with blood vessels and cranial nerves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This skull atlas is valuable for medical students and residents to easily get familiarized with the skull and surrounding anatomy with a few clicks. The atlas is also useful for educators to prepare teaching materials. It may potentially serve as a reference aid in the reading and operating rooms.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore; Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: wieslaw@sbic.a-star.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Wieslaw L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Nowinski
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
authors.forename: Thant Shoon Let
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Thaung
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
authors.forename: Beng Choon
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
authors.forename: Su Hnin Wut
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ngai
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Imaging Lab, Agency for Science Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore.
authors.forename: Yili
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Jagiellonian University Medical Center, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chrzan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Jagiellonian University Medical Center, Cracow, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urbanik
mesh_terms: D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Brain; Brain atlas; Cranial nerves; Intracranial vasculature; Skull; Skull atlas