A semiautomatic segmentation method, solid tissue classification and 3D reconstruction of mandible from computed tomography imaging for biomechanical analysis

Finite Element Analysis using geometrical 3D models obtained from medical imaging is a widely used method in the study of the mechanical properties of jawbone and dentition with important contributions in diagnosis, treatment, and outcome assessment. Numerical analysis in biomechanics seems promising yet it requires a careful reconstruction of specimens to make analysis reliable and feasible. A semi-automatic approach is described for the classification of the solid tissues of jawbone for a subsequent construction of a 3D geometrical model of mandible from CT images to perform a Finite Element mechanical analysis. Mechanical properties of jawbone in fifteen women at different stage of life were studied. Differences in displacement were found statistically significant among age groups, ANOVA test, F=2.75, p=0.04. Preliminary results differentiate biomechanical parameters of jawbone among life span in women concordant with findings in different studies using other techniques.