Efficient graph cuts based extraction of vertebral column and ribs in lung MDCT images

A fully automatic novel algorithm based on graph cuts is presented for accurate and fast segmentation and isolation of human vertebral column and ribs in multi detector computed tomography (MDCT) images. The segmentation is followed by a two-step isolation method to remove mis-segmented parts such as the sternum, clavicle and scapula. The proposed algorithm was tested on 18 patient datasets, with 5 slices from each dataset compared to the reference delineation provided by a radiologist. The experiments were performed on both 2-D (with 4 and 8 neighbours) and 3-D (with 6 and 26 neighbours) graphs with wide range of parameter values. Based on our evaluation, the 2-D, 4 neighbours graph shows high performance (Dice similarity coefficient ≈ 92.5%) with low running time (57.86 s for a 346 slice dataset) and is recommended for accurate and fast segmentation of the vertebral column and ribs.