Skull Simulation from 2 View X-Ray Projections Using 3D Warping Technique

This article has described the process of 3D skull simulation from 2D Postero-Anterior (PA - Frontal View) and lateral (Lateral View) x-ray images using 3D thin plate spline. Initially, the 3D template skull has been prepared with specified landmarks. Next the digital cephalometric tracing lines have been constructed on x-ray images both in lateral and PA views. The computerized cephalometric lines tracing method combines with 3 steps including the adaptive local contrast enhancement of digitized radiographic images, landmark locations on both lateral and PA radiographic images by orthodontic experts, and the application of deformable template registration and cublic spline interpolation techniques for automatic generation of tracing lines. The corresponding landmarks with 3D template skull have been obtained from both lateral and PA cephalometric tracing line before paring and recording the landmarks of 3D standard skull (known as template skull) with landmarks from both lateral and PA (known as real skull data). Finally, the new 3D simulated skull (warping skull) has been simulated by applying 3D thin plate spline technique through pairs of landmarks on 3D template skull as inputs. The results of the 3D skull simulation from the projection of 2D x-ray images from 3 patients have been compared with the skull, which have been rendered from the CT data. Sixteen linear and angular measurements of 3D warping skull of each patient have shown over 90% correctly in comparison to the CT data.