Three-dimensional analysis of reconstructed skulls using three different open-source software versus commercial...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Computational Anatomy
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate 3D skull reconstruction is crucial for cranio-maxillofacial surgery and patient management.
• Commercial software provides a gold standard but can be expensive for some institutions.
• Evaluating open-source alternatives is essential for accessible medical technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of 3D skull models reconstructed using three open-source software packages against a commercial standard.
• To assess the geometric similarity and reliability of open-source 3D reconstruction tools.

Main Methods:

• 58 subjects' CT images were used to reconstruct 3D skull models.
• Three open-source software (MITK, 3D Slicer, InVesalius) and one commercial software (Mimics) were utilized.
• Models were superimposed and analyzed using Hausdorff distance and Dice similarity coefficient.

Main Results:

• Open-source software showed high similarity to the commercial standard (Mimics).
• Hausdorff distances were 0.25 mm (Mimics vs. MITK) and 0.01 mm (Mimics vs. 3D Slicer/InVesalius).
• Dice similarity coefficients were 94.1% (MITK), 98.8% (3D Slicer), and 98.3% (InVesalius).

Conclusions:

• MITK, 3D Slicer, and InVesalius provide comparable 3D skull reconstruction accuracy to commercial software.
• These open-source options are viable for pre-operative planning in cranio-maxillofacial cases.
• Cost-effective open-source software can enhance patient management in resource-limited settings.