A Rigorous 2D-3D Registration Method for a High-Speed Bi-Planar Videoradiography Imaging System

High-speed biplanar videoradiography can derive the dynamic bony translations and rotations required for joint cartilage contact mechanics to provide insights into the mechanical processes and mechanisms of joint degeneration or pathology. A key challenge is the accurate registration of 3D bone models (from MRI or CT scans) with 2D X-ray image pairs. Marker-based or model-based 2D-3D registration can be performed. The former has higher registration accuracy owing to corresponding marker pairs. The latter avoids bead implantation and uses radiograph intensity or features. A rigorous new method based on projection strategy and least-squares estimation that can be used for both methods is proposed and validated by a 3D-printed bone with implanted beads. The results show that it can achieve greater marker-based registration accuracy than the state-of-the-art RSA method. Model-based registration achieved a 3D reconstruction accuracy of 0.79 mm. Systematic offsets between detected edges in the radiographs and their actual position were observed and modeled to improve the reconstruction accuracy to 0.56 mm (tibia) and 0.64 mm (femur). This method is demonstrated on in vivo data, achieving a registration precision of 0.68 mm (tibia) and 0.60 mm (femur). The proposed method allows the determination of accurate 3D kinematic parameters that can be used to calculate joint cartilage contact mechanics.