Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Identification of Disease-related Spatial Covariance Patterns using Neuroimaging Data
Published on: June 26, 2013
ANATOMICAL VARIABILITY OF ORGANS VIA PRINCIPAL FACTOR ANALYSIS FROM THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ABDOMINAL PROBABILISTIC
Mauricio Reyes1, Miguel A Gonzalez Ballester, Zhixi Li
1ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Extensive recent work has taken place on the construction of probabilistic atlases of anatomical organ. We propose a probabilistic atlas of ten major abdominal organs which retains structural variability by using a size-preserving affine registration, and normalizes the physical organ locations to an anatomical landmark. Restricting the degrees of freedom in the transformation, the bias from the reference data is minimized, in terms of organ shape, size and position. Additionally, we present a scheme for the study of anatomical variability within the abdomen, including the clusterization of the modes of variation. The analysis of deformation fields showed a strong correlation with anatomical landmarks and known mechanical deformations in the abdomen. The atlas and its dependencies represent a potentially important research tool for abdominal diagnosis, modeling and soft tissue interventions.
Related Concept Videos
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four quadrants...
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Anatomical Parameters
Gross Anatomy of the Liver
Located under the diaphragm, the liver is almost entirely ensconced within the rib cage, providing it with substantial protection. Except for the superior most bare area, the liver's surface is covered...
Anatomy of the Intestines
Small Intestines
The small intestine is an ~7 meter-long tube with an inner diameter of just 2.5 cm. Since most nutrients are absorbed here, the inner lining of the small...
External Anatomy of the Kidney
The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, protected posteriorly by the 11th and 12th ribs. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left owing to the presence of the liver...
Gross Anatomy of the Stomach

