Algorithm for segmentation and reduction of fractured bones in computer-aided preoperative surgery

CT images have extensively been used for the diagnosis of serious bone injuries, such as comminuted fracture, and for the preoperative planning of orthopedic surgery. In order to enhance the use of CT images in preoperative planning, it is necessary to develop a 3D modeling and simulation tools to acquire more information regarding the real surgery. Bone segmentation and reduction are two important simulation tools in computer-aided preoperative surgery. By improving both algorithms can affect to the feasibility of 3D preoperative planning for fractured bones and provide more valuable information prior to decision making. We provide a technique to model, segment and recover fractured bone from CT images. A multi-region segmentation algorithm is proposed to reduce processing time and get efficiency. A manual and a semi-automatic bone reduction algorithm are proposed to deal with different kinds of fractured bone cases. Two semiautomatic bone reduction algorithms, multi-point and mirror positioning, are proposed to improve the efficiency of manual reduction. The manual reduction is still necessary to deal with cases which cannot be caught by the semi-automatic algorithms. Several realistic examples by using real patients' CT images are provided to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method.