The effects of computed tomography scanner parameters on the quality of the reverse triangular surface model of the fibula

This study investigates the effects of computed tomography (CT) parameters on the quality and size of the reverse triangular surface model with an objective of obtaining an accurate 3D triangular surface model of complex-shaped customized objects for reverse engineering and many other applications such as surgical planning and finite element analysis. For this purpose, the fibula of a human knee joint was CT scanned by changing various parameters (slice thickness, slice spacing, pixel size, X-ray tube current and helical pitch) over wide ranges. Three-dimensional triangular surface models were created from point cloud data extracted from the CT image data. To assess the influences of scanning parameters on the surface quality and accuracy, the resulting surface models were qualitatively compared based on various anatomical features. Statistical analysis was used to quantify the deviations of surface models with different scanning parameter levels from the reference CT surface model. The results show that these parameters to a varying degree affect the surface quality, reproduction of various anatomical details and size of the resulting surface model. Moreover, these parameters are highly dependent on each other. Interactive effects of these parameters have been discussed and recommendations have been made for parameter settings. The results of the study would help to improve the accuracy of the 3D surface models required for customized implants and other applications.