Abstract
Three-dimensional imaging and advanced manufacturing are being applied in health care research to create novel diagnostic and surgical planning methods, as well as personalised treatments and implants. For ear reconstruction, where a cartilage-shaped implant is embedded underneath the skin to re-create shape and form, volumetric imaging and segmentation processing to capture patient anatomy are particularly challenging. Here, we introduce 3-D ultrasound (US) as an available option for imaging the external ear and underlying auricular cartilage structure, and compare it with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) against micro-CT (µCT) as a high-resolution reference (gold standard). US images were segmented to create 3-D models of the auricular cartilage and compared against models generated from µCT to assess accuracy. We found that CT was significantly less accurate than the other methods (root mean square [RMS]: 1.30±0.5mm) and had the least contrast between tissues. There was no significant difference between MRI (RMS: 0.69±0.2mm) and US (0.55±0.1mm). US was also the least expensive imaging method at half the cost of MRI. These results unveil a novel use of ultrasound imaging that has not been presented before, as well as support its more widespread use in biofabrication as a low-cost imaging technique to create patient-specific 3D models and implants.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.