Volume Based Object Manipulation for Simulation of Hip Joint Motion

Three—dimensional (3D) visualization of bony structures from computed tomography (CT) data has evolved as an important aid for diagnostic purposes. However, for planning complex surgical operations more sophisticated methods for object manipulation are required. We have developed an extended ray-casting technique for the visualization of object motion (using the hip joint as an example) with special regard to the problems of obscuration and penetration. Two algorithms will be presented for the accurate determination of the center of the femoral head.