Segmentation of vertebral bodies in MR images based on geometrical models in 3D

Abstract

Segmentation of vertebrae provides means for reliable measurement of vertebral deformations, which is important for the diagnosis and therapy of pathological conditions affecting the spine. In this paper we propose a method for segmentation of vertebral bodies in three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance (MR) images that is based on efficient geometrical modeling of the vertebral body and evaluation of dissimilarity between the vertebral body and the surrounding soft tissue in MR images. The results show that the proposed geometrical model of the vertebral body can describe a variety of vertebral body shapes and therefore the method may be used for quantitative assessment of vertebral body deformations or initialization of whole vertebra segmentation. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.