Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
Four-Dimensional CT Analysis Using Sequential 3D-3D Registration
Published on: November 23, 2019
Automatic determination of an anatomical coordinate system for a three-dimensional model of the human patella
Michael J Rainbow1, Daniel L Miranda, Roy T H Cheung
1Spaulding National Running Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. mikejrainbow@gmail.com
Abstract:
Measuring the in vivo 3-D kinematics of the patella requires a repeatable anatomical coordinate system (ACS). The purpose of this study was to develop an algorithm to determine an ACS using the patella's unique morphology. An ACS was automatically constructed that aligned the proximal/distal (PD) axis with the posterior vertical ridge. Inter-subject ACS repeatability was determined by registering all patellae and their associated ACSs to a reference patella. The mean angle between the reference patella ACS and each subject's axes was less than 2.5° and the 95% CI was 1.0°-4.0°. Here, we presented an anatomical coordinate system that is independent of the observer's subjective judgement or orientation of the knee within the scanner.
