A high-accuracy three-dimensional coordinate digitizing system for reconstructing the geometry of diarthrodial joints.

This paper describes the design and performance evaluation of a three-dimensional (3-D) coordinate digitizing system (3-DCDS) for measuring both soft and hard biological tissue. The system incorporates a visible semiconducting laser beam and an X-Y positioning table to directly measure 3-D coordinates that define surface points. Experiments conducted to evaluate the performance of the system showed that it delivers an accuracy of 0.1 microm in the Z-direction and 1.4 microm in the X-Y plane, and an overall system root-mean-squared error (RMSE) of 8 microm on surfaces with slopes of less than 45 degrees . This error is lower than that of previously reported measurement techniques. The 3-DCDS measures 3-D coordinates of surface points uniformly separated by 500 microm in the X-Y plane. Because the 3-DCDS is automated, the coordinates are measured efficiently and the accuracy is independent of operator skill. These highly accurate coordinates can be easily incorporated into nodal values for 3-D finite element models (FEM) of diarthrodial joints. To show the use of the 3-DCDS, the 3-D surface coordinates of human menisci were measured from a cadaver specimen.

[1]  P. Walker,et al.  Prediction of total knee motion using a three-dimensional computer-graphics model. , 1990, Journal of biomechanics.

[2]  J. C. Hughston,et al.  Tibial plateau topography , 1977, The American journal of sports medicine.

[3]  H. Genant,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in orthopaedics: Principles and applications , 1983, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[4]  G. Bentley,et al.  Effect of age on thickness of adult patellar articular cartilage. , 1977, Annals of the rheumatic diseases.

[5]  V. Mow,et al.  Biphasic creep and stress relaxation of articular cartilage in compression? Theory and experiments. , 1980, Journal of biomechanical engineering.

[6]  S. Goldstein,et al.  The direct examination of three‐dimensional bone architecture in vitro by computed tomography , 1989, Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

[7]  Gerard A. Ateshian,et al.  Knee joint cartilage topography, thickness and contact areas: Validation of measurements from MRI , 1997 .

[8]  R Huiskes,et al.  Analytical stereophotogrammetric determination of three-dimensional knee-joint geometry. , 1985, Journal of biomechanics.

[9]  S K Ghosh A close-range photogrammetric system for 3-D measurements and perspective diagramming in biomechanics. , 1983, Journal of biomechanics.

[10]  V C Mow,et al.  Quantitation of articular surface topography and cartilage thickness in knee joints using stereophotogrammetry. , 1991, Journal of biomechanics.

[11]  R J Belsole,et al.  Mathematical analysis of computed carpal models , 1988, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[12]  Robert L. Spilker,et al.  A mixed-penalty finite element formulation of the linear biphasic theory for soft tissues , 1990 .

[13]  S S Bhat,et al.  Laser and sound scanner for non-contact 3D volume measurement and surface texture analysis , 1994 .