[3D modeling of the female pelvis by Computer-Assisted Anatomical Dissection: Applications and perspectives]

Abstract

Objectives: To achieve a 3D vectorial model of a female pelvis by Computer-Assisted Anatomical Dissection and to assess educationnal and surgical applications.

Materials and method: From the database of "visible female" of Visible Human Project(®) (VHP) of the "national library of medicine" NLM (United States), we used 739 transverse anatomical slices of 0.33mm thickness going from L4 to the trochanters. The manual segmentation of each anatomical structures was done with Winsurf(®) software version 4.3. Each anatomical element was built as a separate vectorial object. The whole colored-rendered vectorial model with realistic textures was exported in 3Dpdf format to allow a real time interactive manipulation with Acrobat(®) pro version 11 software.

Results: Each element can be handled separately at any transparency, which allows an anatomical learning by systems: skeleton, pelvic organs, urogenital system, arterial and venous vascularization. This 3D anatomical model can be used as data bank to teach of the fundamental anatomy.

Conclusion: This 3D vectorial model, realistic and interactive constitutes an efficient educational tool for the teaching of the anatomy of the pelvis. 3D printing of the pelvis is possible with the new printers.

Keywords: 3D vectorial modeling; Anatomie pelvienne féminine; Female pelvic anatomy; Female pelvis; Modélisation vectorielle; Pelvis féminin; Réalité virtuelle; Segmentation from anatomical slices; Virtual dissection; Visible Human Project(®).