@misc{HoffmannSchultzSchellhornetal.2014, author = {Hoffmann, Ren{\´e} and Schultz, Julia A. and Schellhorn, Rico and Rybacki, Erik and Keupp, Helmut and Lemanis, Robert and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Non-invasive imaging methods applied to neo- and paleo-ontological cephalopod research}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.5194/bg-11-2721-2014}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-50300}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Several non-invasive methods are common practice in natural sciences today. Here we present how they can be applied and contribute to current topics in cephalopod (paleo-) biology. Different methods will be compared in terms of time necessary to acquire the data, amount of data, accuracy/resolution, minimum/maximum size of objects that can be studied, the degree of post-processing needed and availability. The main application of the methods is seen in morphometry and volumetry of cephalopod shells. In particular we present a method for precise buoyancy calculation. Therefore, cephalopod shells were scanned together with different reference bodies, an approach developed in medical sciences. It is necessary to know the volume of the reference bodies, which should have similar absorption properties like the object of interest. Exact volumes can be obtained from surface scanning. Depending on the dimensions of the study object different computed tomography techniques were applied.}, language = {en} } @misc{EhlkeFrenzelRammetal.2014, author = {Ehlke, Moritz and Frenzel, Thomas and Ramm, Heiko and Lamecker, Hans and Akbari Shandiz, Mohsen and Anglin, Carolyn and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Robust Measurement of Natural Acetabular Orientation from AP Radiographs using Articulated 3D Shape and Intensity Models}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-49824}, year = {2014}, language = {en} } @article{Zachow2015, author = {Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Computational Planning in Facial Surgery}, volume = {31}, journal = {Facial Plastic Surgery}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1055/s-0035-1564717}, pages = {446 -- 462}, year = {2015}, abstract = {This article reflects the research of the last two decades in computational planning for cranio-maxillofacial surgery. Model-guided and computer-assisted surgery planning has tremendously developed due to ever increasing computational capabilities. Simulators for education, planning, and training of surgery are often compared with flight simulators, where maneuvers are also trained to reduce a possible risk of failure. Meanwhile, digital patient models can be derived from medical image data with astonishing accuracy and thus can serve for model surgery to derive a surgical template model that represents the envisaged result. Computerized surgical planning approaches, however, are often still explorative, meaning that a surgeon tries to find a therapeutic concept based on his or her expertise using computational tools that are mimicking real procedures. Future perspectives of an improved computerized planning may be that surgical objectives will be generated algorithmically by employing mathematical modeling, simulation, and optimization techniques. Planning systems thus act as intelligent decision support systems. However, surgeons can still use the existing tools to vary the proposed approach, but they mainly focus on how to transfer objectives into reality. Such a development may result in a paradigm shift for future surgery planning.}, language = {en} } @misc{LamasRodriguezEhlkeHoffmannetal.2015, author = {Lamas-Rodr{\´i}guez, Juli{\´a}n and Ehlke, Moritz and Hoffmann, Ren{\´e} and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {GPU-accelerated denoising of large tomographic data sets with low SNR}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-56339}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Enhancements in tomographic imaging techniques facilitate non-destructive methods for visualizing fossil structures. However, to penetrate dense materials such as sediments or pyrites, image acquisition is typically performed with high beam energy and very sensitive image intensifiers, leading to artifacts and noise in the acquired data. The analysis of delicate fossil structures requires the images to be captured in maximum resolution, resulting in large data sets of several giga bytes (GB) in size. Since the structural information of interest is often almost in the same spatial range as artifacts and noise, image processing and segmentation algorithms have to cope with a very low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Within this report we present a study on the performance of a collection of denoising algorithms applied to a very noisy fossil dataset. The study shows that a non-local means (NLM) filter, in case it is properly configured, is able to remove a considerable amount of noise while preserving most of the structural information of interest. Based on the results of this study, we developed a software tool within ZIBAmira that denoises large tomographic datasets using an adaptive, GPU-accelerated NLM filter. With the help of our implementation a user can interactively configure the filter's parameters and thus its effectiveness with respect to the data of interest, while the filtering response is instantly visualized for a preselected region of interest (ROI). Our implementation efficiently denoises even large fossil datasets in a reasonable amount of time.}, language = {en} } @article{GreweSchreiberZachow2015, author = {Grewe, Carl Martin and Schreiber, Lisa and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Fast and Accurate Digital Morphometry of Facial Expressions}, volume = {31}, journal = {Facial Plastic Surgery}, number = {05}, publisher = {Thieme Medical Publishers}, address = {New York}, doi = {10.1055/s-0035-1564720}, pages = {431 -- 438}, year = {2015}, language = {en} } @incollection{LameckerZachow2016, author = {Lamecker, Hans and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Statistical Shape Modeling of Musculoskeletal Structures and Its Applications}, volume = {23}, booktitle = {Computational Radiology for Orthopaedic Interventions}, publisher = {Springer}, isbn = {978-3-319-23481-6}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-23482-3}, pages = {1 -- 23}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Statistical shape models (SSM) describe the shape variability contained in a given population. They are able to describe large populations of complex shapes with few degrees of freedom. This makes them a useful tool for a variety of tasks that arise in computer-aided madicine. In this chapter we are going to explain the basic methodology of SSMs and present a variety of examples, where SSMs have been successfully applied.}, language = {en} } @article{ZachowHeppt2015, author = {Zachow, Stefan and Heppt, Werner}, title = {The Facial Profile}, volume = {31}, journal = {Facial Plastic Surgery}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1055/s-0035-1566132}, pages = {419 -- 420}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Facial appearance in our societies is often associated with notions of attractiveness, juvenileness, beauty, success, and so forth. Hence, the role of facial plastic surgery is highly interrelated to a patient's desire to feature many of these positively connoted attributes, which of course, are subject of different cultural perceptions or social trends. To judge about somebody's facial appearance, appropriate quantitative measures as well as methods to obtain and compare individual facial features are required. This special issue on facial profile is intended to provide an overview on how facial characteristics are surgically managed in an interdisciplinary way based on experience, instrumentation, and modern technology to obtain an aesthetic facial appearance with harmonious facial proportions. The facial profile will be discussed within the context of facial aesthetics. Latest concepts for capturing facial morphology in high speed and impressive detail are presented for quantitative analysis of even subtle changes, aging effects, or facial expressions. In addition, the perception of facial profiles is evaluated based on eye tracking technology.}, language = {en} } @article{ZahnGrotjohannRammetal.2015, author = {Zahn, Robert and Grotjohann, Sarah and Ramm, Heiko and Zachow, Stefan and Putzier, Michael and Perka, Carsten and Tohtz, Stephan}, title = {Pelvic tilt compensates for increased acetabular anteversion}, volume = {40}, journal = {International Orthopaedics}, number = {8}, doi = {10.1007/s00264-015-2949-6}, pages = {1571 -- 1575}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Pelvic tilt determines functional orientation of the acetabulum. In this study, we investigated the interaction of pelvic tilt and functional acetabular anteversion (AA) in supine position.}, language = {en} } @article{ZahnGrotjohannRammetal.2016, author = {Zahn, Robert and Grotjohann, Sarah and Ramm, Heiko and Zachow, Stefan and Pumberger, Matthias and Putzier, Michael and Perka, Carsten and Tohtz, Stephan}, title = {Influence of pelvic tilt on functional acetabular orientation}, volume = {25}, journal = {Technology and Health Care}, number = {3}, publisher = {IOS Press}, doi = {10.3233/THC-161281}, pages = {557 -- 565}, year = {2016}, language = {en} } @article{LemanisKornZachowetal.2016, author = {Lemanis, Robert and Korn, Dieter and Zachow, Stefan and Rybacki, Erik and Hoffmann, Ren{\´e}}, title = {The Evolution and Development of Cephalopod Chambers and Their Shape}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0151404}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The Ammonoidea is a group of extinct cephalopods ideal to study evolution through deep time. The evolution of the planispiral shell and complexly folded septa in ammonoids has been thought to have increased the functional surface area of the chambers permitting enhanced metabolic functions such as: chamber emptying, rate of mineralization and increased growth rates throughout ontogeny. Using nano-computed tomography and synchrotron radiation based micro-computed tomography, we present the first study of ontogenetic changes in surface area to volume ratios in the phragmocone chambers of several phylogenetically distant ammonoids and extant cephalopods. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, ammonoids do not possess a persistently high relative chamber surface area. Instead, the functional surface area of the chambers is higher in earliest ontogeny when compared to Spirula spirula. The higher the functional surface area the quicker the potential emptying rate of the chamber; quicker chamber emptying rates would theoretically permit faster growth. This is supported by the persistently higher siphuncular surface area to chamber volume ratio we collected for the ammonite Amauroceras sp. compared to either S. spirula or nautilids. We demonstrate that the curvature of the surface of the chamber increases with greater septal complexity increasing the potential refilling rates. We further show a unique relationship between ammonoid chamber shape and size that does not exist in S. spirula or nautilids. This view of chamber function also has implications for the evolution of the internal shell of coleoids, relating this event to the decoupling of soft-body growth and shell growth.}, language = {en} } @misc{JoachimskyAmbellanZachow2017, author = {Joachimsky, Robert and Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Computerassistierte Auswahl und Platzierung von interpositionalen Spacern zur Behandlung fr{\"u}her Gonarthrose}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-66064}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Degenerative Gelenkerkrankungen, wie die Osteoarthrose, sind ein h{\"a}ufiges Krankheitsbild unter {\"a}lteren Erwachsenen. Hierbei verringert sich u.a. der Gelenkspalt aufgrund degenerierten Knorpels oder gesch{\"a}digter Menisci. Ein in den Gelenkspalt eingebrachter interpositionaler Spacer soll die mit der Osteoarthrose einhergehende verringerte Gelenkkontaktfl{\"a}che erh{\"o}hen und so der teilweise oder vollst{\"a}ndige Gelenkersatz hinausgez{\"o}gert oder vermieden werden. In dieser Arbeit pr{\"a}sentieren wir eine Planungssoftware f{\"u}r die Auswahl und Positionierung eines interpositionalen Spacers am Patientenmodell. Auf einer MRT-basierten Bildsegmentierung aufbauend erfolgt eine geometrische Rekonstruktion der 3D-Anatomie des Kniegelenks. Anhand dieser wird der Gelenkspalt bestimmt, sowie ein Spacer ausgew{\"a}hlt und algorithmisch vorpositioniert. Die Positionierung des Spacers ist durch den Benutzer jederzeit interaktiv anpassbar. F{\"u}r jede Positionierung eines Spacers wird ein Fitness-Wert zur Knieanatomie des jeweiligen Patienten berechnet und den Nutzern R{\"u}ckmeldung hinsichtlich Passgenauigkeit gegeben. Die Software unterst{\"u}tzt somit als Entscheidungshilfe die behandelnden {\"A}rzte bei der patientenspezifischen Spacerauswahl.}, language = {de} } @misc{HegeMerzkyZachow2000, author = {Hege, Hans-Christian and Merzky, Andre and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Distributed Visualization with OpenGL Vizserver: Practical Experiences}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-5992}, number = {00-31}, year = {2000}, abstract = {The increasing demand for distributed solutions in computing technology does not stop when it comes to visualization techniques. However, the capabilities of todays applications to perform remote rendering are limited by historical design legacys. Especially the popular X11 protokoll, which has been proven to be extremely flexible and usefull for remote 2D graphics applications, breaks down for the case of remote 3D rendering. In this white paper, we give a short overview of generic remote rendering technologies available today, and compare their performance to the recently released vizserver by SGI: a network extension to the SGI OpenGL rendering engines.}, language = {en} } @misc{KoberSaderZeilhoferetal.2001, author = {Kober, Cornelia and Sader, Robert and Zeilhofer, Hans-Florian and Prohaska, Steffen and Zachow, Stefan and Deuflhard, Peter}, title = {Anisotrope Materialmodellierung f{\"u}r den menschlichen Unterkiefer}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-6574}, number = {01-31}, year = {2001}, abstract = {Im Rahmen der biomechanischen Simulation kn{\"o}cherner Organe ist die Frage nach einer befriedigenden Materialbeschreibung nach wie vor ungel{\"o}st. Computertomographische Datens{\"a}tze liefern eine r{\"a}umliche Verteilung der (R{\"o}ntgen-)Dichte und erm{\"o}glichen damit eine gute Darstellung der individuellen Geometrie. Weiter k{\"o}nnen die verschiedenen Materialbestandteile des Knochens, Spongiosa und Kortikalis, voneinander getrennt werden. Aber die richtungsab{\"a}ngige Information der Materialanisotropie ist verloren. In dieser Arbeit wird ein Ansatz f{\"u}r eine anisotrope Materialbeschreibung vorgestellt, die es erm{\"o}glicht, den Einfluss der individuellen kn{\"o}chernen Struktur auf das makroskopische Materialverhalten abzusch{\"a}tzen.}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Zachow2005, author = {Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Computergest{\"u}tzte 3D Osteotomieplanung in der Mund-Kiefer-Gesichtschirurgie unter Ber{\"u}cksichtigung der r{\"a}umlichen Weichgewebeanordnung}, isbn = {3899631986}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-10432}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In der Arbeit wird die computergest{\"u}tzte Planung von chirurgisch gesetzten Knochenfrakturen bzw. Knochenschnitten (sogenannten Osteotomien) an dreidimensionalen, computergrafischen Sch{\"a}delmodellen, sowie die Umpositionierung separierter kn{\"o}cherner Segmente im Kontext der rekonstruktiven MKG-Chirurgie behandelt. Durch die 3D Modellierung und Visualisierung anatomischer Strukturen, sowie der 3D Osteotomie- und Umstellungsplanung unter Einbeziehung der resultierenden Weichgewebedeformation wird den Chirurgen ein Werkzeug an die Hand gegeben, mit dem eine Therapieplanung am Computer durchgef{\"u}hrt und diese in Hinblick auf Funktion und {\"A}sthetik bewertet werden kann. Unterschiedliche Strategien k{\"o}nnen dabei erprobt und in ihrer Auswirkung erfasst werden. Dazu wird ein methodischer Ansatz vorgestellt, der zum einen die chirurgische Planung im Vergleich zu existierenden Ans{\"a}tzen deutlich verbessert und zum anderen eine robuste Weichgewebeprognose, durch den Einsatz geeigneter Planungsmodelle und eines physikalisch basierten Weichgewebemodells unter Nutzung numerischer L{\"o}sungsverfahren in die Planung integriert. Die Visualisierung der Planungsergebnisse erlaubt sowohl eine anschauliche und {\"u}berzeugende, pr{\"a}operative Patientenaufkl{\"a}rung, als auch die Demonstration m{\"o}glicher Vorgehensweisen und deren Auswirkungen f{\"u}r die chirurgische Ausbildung. Ferner erg{\"a}nzen die Planungsdaten die Falldokumentation und liefern einen Beitrag zur Qualit{\"a}tssicherung. Die Arbeit ist in sieben Kapitel gegliedert und wie folgt strukturiert: Zuerst wird die medizinische Aufgabenstellung bei der chirurgischen Rekonstruktion von Knochenfehlbildungen und -fehlstellungen in der kraniofazialen Chirurgie sowie die daraus resultierenden Anforderungen an die Therapieplanung beschrieben. Anschließend folgt ein umfassender {\"U}berblick {\"u}ber entsprechende Vorarbeiten zur computergest{\"u}tzten Planung knochenverlagernder Operationen und eine kritische Bestandsaufnahme der noch vorhandenen Defizite. Nach der Vorstellung des eigenen Planungsansatzes wird die Generierung individueller, qualitativ hochwertiger 3D Planungsmodelle aus tomografischen Bilddaten beschrieben, die den Anforderungen an eine intuitive, 3D Planung von Umstellungsosteotomien entsprechen und eine Simulation der daraus resultierenden Weichgewebedeformation mittels der Finite-Elemente Methode (FEM) erm{\"o}glichen. Die Methoden der 3D Schnittplanung an computergrafischen Modellen werden analysiert und eine 3D Osteotomieplanung an polygonalen Sch{\"a}delmodellen entwickelt, die es erm{\"o}glicht, intuitiv durch Definition von Schnittlinien am 3D Knochenmodell, eine den chirurgischen Anforderungen entsprechende Schnittplanung unter Ber{\"u}cksichtigung von Risikostrukturen durchzuf{\"u}hren. Separierte Knochensegmente lassen sich im Anschluss interaktiv umpositionieren und die resultierende Gesamtanordnung hinsichtlich einer funktionellen Rehabilitation bewerten. Aufgrund des in dieser Arbeit gew{\"a}hlten, physikalisch basierten Modellierungsansatzes kann unter Ber{\"u}cksichtigung des gesamten Weichgewebevolumens aus der Knochenverlagerung direkt die resultierende Gesichtsform berechnet werden. Dies wird anhand von 13 exemplarischen Fallstudien anschaulich demonstriert, wobei die Prognosequalit{\"a}t mittels postoperativer Fotografien und postoperativer CT-Daten {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft und belegt wird. Die Arbeit wird mit einem Ausblick auf erweiterte Modellierungsans{\"a}tze und einem Konzept f{\"u}r eine integrierte, klinisch einsetzbare Planungsumgebung abgeschlossen.}, language = {de} } @misc{ZachowZilskeHege2007, author = {Zachow, Stefan and Zilske, Michael and Hege, Hans-Christian}, title = {3D reconstruction of individual anatomy from medical image data: Segmentation and geometry processing}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-10440}, number = {07-41}, year = {2007}, abstract = {For medical diagnosis, visualization, and model-based therapy planning three-dimensional geometric reconstructions of individual anatomical structures are often indispensable. Computer-assisted, model-based planning procedures typically cover specific modifications of "virtual anatomy" as well as numeric simulations of associated phenomena, like e.g. mechanical loads, fluid dynamics, or diffusion processes, in order to evaluate a potential therapeutic outcome. Since internal anatomical structures cannot be measured optically or mechanically in vivo, three-dimensional reconstruction of tomographic image data remains the method of choice. In this work the process chain of individual anatomy reconstruction is described which consists of segmentation of medical image data, geometrical reconstruction of all relevant tissue interfaces, up to the generation of geometric approximations (boundary surfaces and volumetric meshes) of three-dimensional anatomy being suited for finite element analysis. All results presented herein are generated with amira ® - a highly interactive software system for 3D data analysis, visualization and geometry reconstruction.}, language = {en} } @misc{GreweZachow2021, author = {Grewe, C. Martin and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Release of the FexMM for the Open Virtual Mirror Framework}, doi = {10.12752/8532}, year = {2021}, abstract = {THIS MODEL IS FOR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH PURPOSES. ONLY MEMBERS OF UNIVERSITIES OR NON-COMMERCIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. 1. Download, fill, and sign the form available from: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/mgrewe/ovmf/main/data/fexmm_license_agreement.pdf 2. Send the signed form to: fexmm@zib.de NOTE: Use an official email address of your institution for the request.}, language = {en} } @article{LiPimentelSzengeletal.2021, author = {Li, Jianning and Pimentel, Pedro and Szengel, Angelika and Ehlke, Moritz and Lamecker, Hans and Zachow, Stefan and Estacio, Laura and Doenitz, Christian and Ramm, Heiko and Shi, Haochen and Chen, Xiaojun and Matzkin, Franco and Newcombe, Virginia and Ferrante, Enzo and Jin, Yuan and Ellis, David G. and Aizenberg, Michele R. and Kodym, Oldrich and Spanel, Michal and Herout, Adam and Mainprize, James G. and Fishman, Zachary and Hardisty, Michael R. and Bayat, Amirhossein and Shit, Suprosanna and Wang, Bomin and Liu, Zhi and Eder, Matthias and Pepe, Antonio and Gsaxner, Christina and Alves, Victor and Zefferer, Ulrike and von Campe, Cord and Pistracher, Karin and Sch{\"a}fer, Ute and Schmalstieg, Dieter and Menze, Bjoern H. and Glocker, Ben and Egger, Jan}, title = {AutoImplant 2020 - First MICCAI Challenge on Automatic Cranial Implant Design}, volume = {40}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging}, number = {9}, issn = {0278-0062}, doi = {10.1109/TMI.2021.3077047}, pages = {2329 -- 2342}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the MICCAI 2020 AutoImplant Challenge. The approaches and publications submitted and accepted within the challenge will be summarized and reported, highlighting common algorithmic trends and algorithmic diversity. Furthermore, the evaluation results will be presented, compared and discussed in regard to the challenge aim: seeking for low cost, fast and fully automated solutions for cranial implant design. Based on feedback from collaborating neurosurgeons, this paper concludes by stating open issues and post-challenge requirements for intra-operative use.}, language = {en} } @article{TackAmbellanZachow2021, author = {Tack, Alexander and Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Towards novel osteoarthritis biomarkers: Multi-criteria evaluation of 46,996 segmented knee MRI data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative}, volume = {16}, journal = {PLOS One}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0258855}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are the state-of-the-art for automated assessment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from medical image data. However, these methods lack interpretability, mainly focus on image texture, and cannot completely grasp the analyzed anatomies' shapes. In this study we assess the informative value of quantitative features derived from segmentations in order to assess their potential as an alternative or extension to CNN-based approaches regarding multiple aspects of KOA. Six anatomical structures around the knee (femoral and tibial bones, femoral and tibial cartilages, and both menisci) are segmented in 46,996 MRI scans. Based on these segmentations, quantitative features are computed, i.e., measurements such as cartilage volume, meniscal extrusion and tibial coverage, as well as geometric features based on a statistical shape encoding of the anatomies. The feature quality is assessed by investigating their association to the Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KLG), joint space narrowing (JSN), incident KOA, and total knee replacement (TKR). Using gold standard labels from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database the balanced accuracy (BA), the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC), and weighted kappa statistics are evaluated. Features based on shape encodings of femur, tibia, and menisci plus the performed measurements showed most potential as KOA biomarkers. Differentiation between non-arthritic and severely arthritic knees yielded BAs of up to 99\%, 84\% were achieved for diagnosis of early KOA. Weighted kappa values of 0.73, 0.72, and 0.78 were achieved for classification of the grade of medial JSN, lateral JSN, and KLG, respectively. The AUC was 0.61 and 0.76 for prediction of incident KOA and TKR within one year, respectively. Quantitative features from automated segmentations provide novel biomarkers for KLG and JSN classification and show potential for incident KOA and TKR prediction. The validity of these features should be further evaluated, especially as extensions of CNN- based approaches. To foster such developments we make all segmentations publicly available together with this publication.}, language = {en} } @article{TackShestakovLuedkeetal.2021, author = {Tack, Alexander and Shestakov, Alexey and L{\"u}dke, David and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {A deep multi-task learning method for detection of meniscal tears in MRI data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database}, journal = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, section Biomechanics}, doi = {10.3389/fbioe.2021.747217}, pages = {28 -- 41}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We present a novel and computationally efficient method for the detection of meniscal tears in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. Our method is based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that operates on a complete 3D MRI scan. Our approach detects the presence of meniscal tears in three anatomical sub-regions (anterior horn, meniscal body, posterior horn) for both the Medial Meniscus (MM) and the Lateral Meniscus (LM) individually. For optimal performance of our method, we investigate how to preprocess the MRI data or how to train the CNN such that only relevant information within a Region of Interest (RoI) of the data volume is taken into account for meniscal tear detection. We propose meniscal tear detection combined with a bounding box regressor in a multi-task deep learning framework to let the CNN implicitly consider the corresponding RoIs of the menisci. We evaluate the accuracy of our CNN-based meniscal tear detection approach on 2,399 Double Echo Steady-State (DESS) MRI scans from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. In addition, to show that our method is capable of generalizing to other MRI sequences, we also adapt our model to Intermediate-Weighted Turbo Spin-Echo (IW TSE) MRI scans. To judge the quality of our approaches, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and Area Under the Curve (AUC) values are evaluated for both MRI sequences. For the detection of tears in DESS MRI, our method reaches AUC values of 0.94, 0.93, 0.93 (anterior horn, body, posterior horn) in MM and 0.96, 0.94, 0.91 in LM. For the detection of tears in IW TSE MRI data, our method yields AUC values of 0.84, 0.88, 0.86 in MM and 0.95, 0.91, 0.90 in LM. In conclusion, the presented method achieves high accuracy for detecting meniscal tears in both DESS and IW TSE MRI data. Furthermore, our method can be easily trained and applied to other MRI sequences.}, language = {en} } @misc{TackShestakovLuedkeetal.2021, author = {Tack, Alexander and Shestakov, Alexey and L{\"u}dke, David and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {A deep multi-task learning method for detection of meniscal tears in MRI data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-84415}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We present a novel and computationally efficient method for the detection of meniscal tears in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. Our method is based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) that operates on a complete 3D MRI scan. Our approach detects the presence of meniscal tears in three anatomical sub-regions (anterior horn, meniscal body, posterior horn) for both the Medial Meniscus (MM) and the Lateral Meniscus (LM) individually. For optimal performance of our method, we investigate how to preprocess the MRI data or how to train the CNN such that only relevant information within a Region of Interest (RoI) of the data volume is taken into account for meniscal tear detection. We propose meniscal tear detection combined with a bounding box regressor in a multi-task deep learning framework to let the CNN implicitly consider the corresponding RoIs of the menisci. We evaluate the accuracy of our CNN-based meniscal tear detection approach on 2,399 Double Echo Steady-State (DESS) MRI scans from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. In addition, to show that our method is capable of generalizing to other MRI sequences, we also adapt our model to Intermediate-Weighted Turbo Spin-Echo (IW TSE) MRI scans. To judge the quality of our approaches, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and Area Under the Curve (AUC) values are evaluated for both MRI sequences. For the detection of tears in DESS MRI, our method reaches AUC values of 0.94, 0.93, 0.93 (anterior horn, body, posterior horn) in MM and 0.96, 0.94, 0.91 in LM. For the detection of tears in IW TSE MRI data, our method yields AUC values of 0.84, 0.88, 0.86 in MM and 0.95, 0.91, 0.90 in LM. In conclusion, the presented method achieves high accuracy for detecting meniscal tears in both DESS and IW TSE MRI data. Furthermore, our method can be easily trained and applied to other MRI sequences.}, language = {en} } @article{GreweLiuHildebrandtetal.2022, author = {Grewe, Carl Martin and Liu, Tuo and Hildebrandt, Andrea and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {The Open Virtual Mirror Framework for Enfacement Illusions - Enhancing the Sense of Agency With Avatars That Imitate Facial Expressions}, journal = {Behavior Research Methods}, publisher = {Springer}, doi = {10.3758/s13428-021-01761-9}, year = {2022}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{SiqueiraRodriguesRiehmZachowetal.2023, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Riehm, Felix and Zachow, Stefan and Israel, Johann Habakuk}, title = {VoxSculpt: An Open-Source Voxel Library for Tomographic Volume Sculpting in Virtual Reality}, booktitle = {2023 9th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR), Xianyang, China, 2023}, doi = {10.1109/ICVR57957.2023.10169420}, pages = {515 -- 523}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Manual processing of tomographic data volumes, such as interactive image segmentation in medicine or paleontology, is considered a time-consuming and cumbersome endeavor. Immersive volume sculpting stands as a potential solution to improve its efficiency and intuitiveness. However, current open-source software solutions do not yield the required performance and functionalities. We address this issue by contributing a novel open-source game engine voxel library that supports real-time immersive volume sculpting. Our design leverages GPU instancing, parallel computing, and a chunk-based data structure to optimize collision detection and rendering. We have implemented features that enable fast voxel interaction and improve precision. Our benchmark evaluation indicates that our implementation offers a significant improvement over the state-of-the-art and can render and modify millions of visible voxels while maintaining stable performance for real-time interaction in virtual reality.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SiqueiraRodriguesNyakaturaZachowetal.2023, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Nyakatura, John and Zachow, Stefan and Israel, Johann Habakuk}, title = {Design Challenges and Opportunities of Fossil Preparation Tools and Methods}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Culture and Computer Science: Code and Materiality}, publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery}, address = {New York, NY, USA}, doi = {10.1145/3623462.3623470}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Fossil preparation is the activity of processing paleontological specimens for research and exhibition purposes. In addition to traditional mechanical extraction of fossils, preparation presently comprises non-destructive digital methods that are part of a relatively new field, namely virtual paleontology. Despite significant technological advances, both traditional and digital preparation remain cumbersome and time-consuming endeavors. However, this field has received scarce attention from a human-computer interaction perspective. The present study aims to elucidate the state-of-the-art for paleontological fossil preparation in order to determine its main challenges and start a conversation regarding opportunities for creating novel designs that tackle the field's current issues. We conducted a qualitative study involving both technical preparators and virtual paleontologists. The study was divided into two parts: First, we assembled technical preparators and paleontology researchers in a focus group session to discuss their workflows, obtain a preliminary understanding of their issues, and ideate solutions based on their counterparts' workflows. Next, we conducted a series of contextual inquiries involving direct observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews. We transcribed our recordings and examined the data through theoretical and inductive thematic analysis, clustering emerging themes and applying concepts from human-computer interaction and related fields. Our findings report on challenges faced by traditional and digital fossil preparators and potential opportunities to improve their tools and workflows. We contribute with a novel analysis of fossil preparation from an HCI perspective.}, language = {en} } @article{WagendorfNahlesVachetal.2023, author = {Wagendorf, Oliver and Nahles, Susanne and Vach, Kirstin and Kernen, Florian and Zachow, Stefan and Heiland, Max and Fl{\"u}gge, Tabea}, title = {The impact of teeth and dental restorations on gray value distribution in cone-beam computer tomography - a pilot study}, volume = {9}, journal = {International Journal of Implant Dentistry}, number = {27}, doi = {10.1186/s40729-023-00493-z}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Purpose: To investigate the influence of teeth and dental restorations on the facial skeleton's gray value distributions in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methods: Gray value selection for the upper and lower jaw segmentation was performed in 40 patients. In total, CBCT data of 20 maxillae and 20 mandibles, ten partial edentulous and ten fully edentulous in each jaw, respectively, were evaluated using two different gray value selection procedures: manual lower threshold selection and automated lower threshold selection. Two sample t tests, linear regression models, linear mixed models, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed to evaluate the influence of teeth, dental restorations, and threshold selection procedures on gray value distributions. Results: Manual threshold selection resulted in significantly different gray values in the fully and partially edentulous mandible. (p = 0.015, difference 123). In automated threshold selection, only tendencies to different gray values in fully edentulous compared to partially edentulous jaws were observed (difference: 58-75). Significantly different gray values were evaluated for threshold selection approaches, independent of the dental situation of the analyzed jaw. No significant correlation between the number of teeth and gray values was assessed, but a trend towards higher gray values in patients with more teeth was noted. Conclusions: Standard gray values derived from CT imaging do not apply for threshold-based bone segmentation in CBCT. Teeth influence gray values and segmentation results. Inaccurate bone segmentation may result in ill-fitting surgical guides produced on CBCT data and misinterpreting bone density, which is crucial for selecting surgical protocols.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{ManogueSchangKuşetal.2025, author = {Manogue, Kevin and Schang, Tomasz and Ku{\c{s}}, Dilara and M{\"u}ller, Jonas and Zachow, Stefan and Sengupta, Agniva}, title = {Generalizing Shape-from-Template to Topological Changes}, booktitle = {Smart Tools and Applications in Graphics - Eurographics Italian Chapter Conference}, publisher = {The Eurographics Association}, isbn = {978-3-03868-296-7}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2511.03459}, doi = {10.2312/stag.20251322}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Reconstructing the surfaces of deformable objects from correspondences between a 3D template and a 2D image is well studied under Shape-from-Template (SfT) methods; however, existing approaches break down when topological changes accompany the deformation. We propose a principled extension of SfT that enables reconstruction in the presence of such changes. Our approach is initialized with a classical SfT solution and iteratively adapts the template by partitioning its spatial domain so as to minimize an energy functional that jointly encodes physical plausibility and reprojection consistency. We demonstrate that the method robustly captures a wide range of practically relevant topological events including tears and cuts on bounded 2D surfaces, thereby establishing the first general framework for topological-change-aware SfT. Experiments on both synthetic and real data confirm that our approach consistently outperforms baseline methods.}, language = {en} } @article{LiBitterNguyenetal.2025, author = {Li, Jianning and Bitter, Kerstin and Nguyen, Anh Duc and Shemesh, Hagay and Zaslansky, Paul and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Computational Insights into Root Canal Treatment: A Survey of Selected Methods in Imaging, Segmentation, Morphological Analysis, and Clinical Management}, volume = {13}, journal = {dentistry journal}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/dj13120579}, pages = {27}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Background/Objectives: Root canal treatment (RCT) is a common dental procedure performed to preserve teeth by removing infected or at-risk pulp tissue caused by caries, trauma, or other pulpal conditions. A successful outcome, among others, depends on accurate identification of the root canal anatomy, planning a suitable therapeutic strategy, and ensuring a bacteria-tight root canal filling. Despite advances in dental techniques, there remains limited integration of computational methods to support key stages of treatment. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of computational methods applied throughout the full workflow of RCT, examining their potential to support clinical decision-making, improve treatment planning and outcome assessment, and help bridge the interdisciplinary gap between dentistry and computational research. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify and analyze computational methods applied to different stages of RCT, including root canal segmentation, morphological analysis, treatment planning, quality evaluation, follow-up, and prognosis prediction. In addition, a taxonomy based on application was developed to categorize these methods based on their function within the treatment process. Insights from the authors' own research experience were also incorporated to highlight implementation challenges and practical considerations. Results: The review identified a wide range of computational methods aimed at enhancing the consistency and efficiency of RCT. Key findings include the use of advanced image processing for segmentation, image analysis for diagnosis and treatment planning, machine learning for morphological classification, and predictive modeling for outcome estimation. While some methods demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity in diagnostic and planning tasks, many remain in experimental stages and lack clinical integration. There is also a noticeable absence of advanced computational techniques for micro-computed tomography and morphological analysis. Conclusions: Computational methods offer significant potential to improve decision-making and outcomes in RCT. However, greater focus on clinical translation and development of cross-modality methodology is needed. The proposed taxonomy provides a structured framework for organizing existing methods and identifying future research directions tailored to specific phases of treatment. This review serves as a resource for both dental professionals, computer scientists and researchers seeking to bridge the gap between clinical practice and computational innovation.}, language = {en} } @article{SiqueiraRodriguesSchmidtIsraeletal.2024, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Schmidt, Timo Torsten and Israel, Johann Habakuk and Nyakatura, John and Zachow, Stefan and Kosch, Thomas}, title = {Comparing the Effects of Visual, Haptic, and Visuohaptic Encoding on Memory Retention of Digital Objects in Virtual Reality}, journal = {NordiCHI '24: Proceedings of the 13th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2406.14139}, doi = {10.1145/3679318.3685349}, pages = {1 -- 13}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Although Virtual Reality (VR) has undoubtedly improved human interaction with 3D data, users still face difficulties retaining important details of complex digital objects in preparation for physical tasks. To address this issue, we evaluated the potential of visuohaptic integration to improve the memorability of virtual objects in immersive visualizations. In a user study (N=20), participants performed a delayed match-to-sample task where they memorized stimuli of visual, haptic, or visuohaptic encoding conditions. We assessed performance differences between the conditions through error rates and response time. We found that visuohaptic encoding significantly improved memorization accuracy compared to unimodal visual and haptic conditions. Our analysis indicates that integrating haptics into immersive visualizations enhances the memorability of digital objects. We discuss its implications for the optimal encoding design in VR applications that assist professionals who need to memorize and recall virtual objects in their daily work.}, language = {en} } @article{LeskovarHeylandTrepczynskietal.2025, author = {Leskovar, Marko and Heyland, Mark and Trepczynski, Adam and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Comparison of Global and Local Optimization Methods for Intensity-based 2D-3D Registration}, volume = {186}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, publisher = {Elsevier}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.109574}, pages = {109574}, year = {2025}, language = {en} } @article{SiqueiraRodriguesSchmidtNyakaturaetal.2024, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Schmidt, Timo Torsten and Nyakatura, John and Zachow, Stefan and Israel, Johann Habakuk and Kosch, Thomas}, title = {Assessing the Effects of Sensory Modality Conditions on Object Retention across Virtual Reality and Projected Surface Display Environments}, volume = {8}, journal = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction}, number = {ISS}, doi = {10.1145/3698137}, pages = {255 -- 282}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Haptic feedback reportedly enhances human interaction with 3D data, particularly improving the retention of mental representations of digital objects in immersive settings. However, the effectiveness of visuohaptic integration in promoting object retention across different display environments remains underexplored. Our study extends previous research on the retention effects of haptics from virtual reality to a projected surface display to assess whether earlier findings generalize to 2D environments. Participants performed a delayed match-to-sample task incorporating visual, haptic, and visuohaptic sensory feedback within a projected surface display environment. We compared error rates and response times across these sensory modalities and display environments. Our results reveal that visuohaptic integration significantly enhances object retention on projected surfaces, benefiting task performance across display environments. Our findings suggest that haptics can improve object retention without requiring fully immersive setups, offering insights for the design of interactive systems that assist professionals who rely on precise mental representations of digital objects.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SiqueiraRodriguesKoschNyakaturaetal.2025, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Kosch, Thomas and Nyakatura, John and Zachow, Stefan and Israel, Johann Habakuk}, title = {MorphoHaptics: An Open-Source Tool for Visuohaptic Exploration of Morphological Image Datasets}, booktitle = {KUI '24: Proceedings of the 21th International Conference on Culture and Computer Science: from Humanism to Digital Humanities}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2409.17766}, doi = {10.1145/3719236.3719271}, pages = {1 -- 10}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Although digital methods have significantly advanced morphology, practitioners are still challenged to understand and process tomographic data of specimens. As automated processing of fossil data is still insufficient, morphologists still engage in intensive manual work to digitally prepare fossils for research objectives. We present an open-source tool that enables morphologists to explore tomographic data similarly to the physical workflows that traditional fossil preparators experience in the field. Using questionnaires, we assessed the usability of our prototype for virtual fossil preparation and related common tasks in the digital preparation workflow. Our findings indicate that integrating haptics into the virtual preparation workflow enhances the understanding of the morphology and material properties of working specimens and that the visuohaptic sculpting of fossil volumes is straightforward and is an improvement over current digital specimen processing methods.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SiqueiraRodriguesNyakaturaZachowetal.2024, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Nyakatura, John and Zachow, Stefan and Israel, Johann Habakuk and Kosch, Thomas}, title = {Evaluating Visuohaptic Integration on Memory Retention of Morphological Tomographic Images}, booktitle = {The 19th ACM SIGGRAPH International Conference on Virtual-Reality Continuum and its Applications in Industry}, publisher = {ACM}, address = {New York, NY, USA}, doi = {10.1145/3703619.3706055}, pages = {1 -- 10}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Scientific visualization and tomographic imaging techniques have created unprecedented possibilities for non-destructive analyses of digital specimens in morphology. However, practitioners encounter difficulties retaining critical information from complex tomographic volumes in their workflows. In light of this challenge, we investigated the effectiveness of visuohaptic integration in enhancing memory retention of morphological data. In a within-subjects user study (N=18), participants completed a delayed match-to-sample task, where we compared error rates and response times across visual and visuohaptic sensory modality conditions. Our results indicate that visuohaptic encoding improves the retention of tomographic images, producing significantly reduced error rates and faster response times than its unimodal visual counterpart. Our findings suggest that integrating haptics into scientific visualization interfaces may support professionals in fields such as morphology, where accurate retention of complex spatial data is essential for efficient analysis and decision-making within virtual environments.}, language = {en} } @article{SenguptaZachow2025, author = {Sengupta, Agniva and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Shape-from-Template with Generalised Camera}, volume = {162}, journal = {Image and Vision Computing}, doi = {10.1016/j.imavis.2025.105579}, year = {2025}, abstract = {This article presents a new method for non-rigidly registering a 3D shape to 2D keypoints observed by a constellation of multiple cameras. Non-rigid registration of a 3D shape to observed 2D keypoints, i.e., Shape-from-Template (SfT), has been widely studied using single images, but SfT with information from multiple-cameras jointly opens new directions for extending the scope of known use-cases such as 3D shape registration in medical imaging and registration from hand-held cameras, to name a few. We represent such multi-camera setup with the generalised camera model; therefore any collection of perspective or orthographic cameras observing any deforming object can be registered. We propose multiple approaches for such SfT: the first approach where the corresponded keypoints lie on a direction vector from a known 3D point in space, the second approach where the corresponded keypoints lie on a direction vector from an unknown 3D point in space but with known orientation w.r.t some local reference frame, and a third approach where, apart from correspondences, the silhouette of the imaged object is also known. Together, these form the first set of solutions to the SfT problem with generalised cameras. The key idea behind SfT with generalised camera is the improved reconstruction accuracy from estimating deformed shape while utilising the additional information from the mutual constraints between multiple views of a deformed object. The correspondence-based approaches are solved with convex programming while the silhouette-based approach is an iterative refinement of the results from the convex solutions. We demonstrate the accuracy of our proposed methods on many synthetic and real data.}, language = {en} } @article{TrepczynskiKneifelHeylandetal.2024, author = {Trepczynski, Adam and Kneifel, Paul and Heyland, Mark and Leskovar, Marko and Moewis, Philippe and Damm, Philipp and Taylor, William R. and Zachow, Stefan and Duda, Georg}, title = {Impact of the External Knee Flexion Moment on Patello-Femoral Loading Derived from in vivo Loads and Kinematics}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology}, doi = {10.3389/fbioe.2024.1473951}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Anterior knee pain and other patello-femoral (PF) complications frequently limit the success of total knee arthroplasty as the final treatment of end stage osteoarthritis. However, knowledge about the invivo loading conditions at the PF joint remains limited, as no direct measurements are available. We hypothesised that the external knee flexion moment (EFM) is highly predictive of the PF contact forces during activities with substantial flexion of the loaded knee.Six patients (65-80 years, 67-101 kg) with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed two activities of daily living: sit-stand-sit and squat. Tibio-femoral (TF) contact forces were measured in vivo using instrumented tibial components, while synchronously internal TF and PF kinematics were captured with mobile fluoroscopy. The measurements were used to compute PF contact forces using patient specific musculoskeletal models. The relationship between the EFM and the PF contact force was quantified using linear regression.Mean peak TF contact forces of 1.97 to 3.24 times body weight (BW) were found while peak PF forces reached 1.75 to 3.29 times body weight (BW). The peak EFM ranged from 3.2 to 5.9 \%BW times body height, and was a good predictor of the PF contact force (R^2 = 0.95 and 0.88 for sit-standsit and squat, respectively).The novel combination of in vivo TF contact forces and internal patellar kinematics enabled a reliable assessment of PF contact forces. The results of the regression analysis suggest that PF forces can be estimated based solely on the EFM from quantitative gait analysis. Our study also demonstrates the relevance of PF contact forces, which reach magnitudes similar to TF forces during activities of daily living.}, language = {en} } @article{DeppeGabrieleMazzolenietal.2025, author = {Deppe, Dominik and Gabriele, Matteo and Mazzoleni, Manuel Giovanni and Ordas-Bayon, Alejandro and Fidanza, Andrea and Rozhko, Yuriy and Şim{\c{s}}ek, Ekin Kaya and Keltz, Eran and Osterhoff, Georg and Damm, Philipp and Duda, Georg N. and Leskovar, Marko and Zachow, Stefan and Trepczynski, Adam and Heyland, Mark}, title = {Interobserver Reliability of the Modified Radiographic Union Score (mRUST) for Tibial and Femoral Fractures}, volume = {39}, journal = {Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma}, number = {10}, issn = {0890-5339}, doi = {10.1097/BOT.0000000000003032}, pages = {557 -- 563}, year = {2025}, abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability of the modified Radiographic Union Score for Tibial fractures (mRUST) as a reliable tool for monitoring lower limb fractures (femur, tibia) treated with various modalities (nail, plate). METHODS: Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: Single center academic hospital in Germany. Patient Selection Criteria: Adult patients (≥18 years) with extra-articular long bone fractures of the lower extremities treated surgically between January 2005 and April 2022, requiring radiographs in two perpendicular planes and at least one follow-up visit, were included. Exclusion criteria were critical clinical conditions, inability to consent, joint articulation fractures, inadequate documentation, or insufficient imaging quality. Outcome Measures and Comparisons: Six international investigators (five orthopedic surgeons, one radiologist) independently assessed fracture line and callus growth per cortex (mRUST) at individualized follow-up time points based on clinical practice. To evaluate interrater reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated for the overall dataset, and for subsets of rated images, that were defined based on anatomical location (femur/tibia), treatment type (plate/nail fixation), and treatment combinations across locations. RESULTS: A total of 166 patients (63 femur fractures, 103 tibia fractures; 32.5\% female, mean age 43.4 (18-84)) with 1136 follow-up time points were analyzed. Overall interrater reliability for mRUST was good (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.77), consistent across fixation methods (nail/plate fixation, 0.79) and anatomical locations (tibia, 0.78; femur, 0.81). Cortex-specific reliability varied, with highest agreement for the medial cortex (0.70-0.74) and lowest for the posterior cortex (0.65-0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The mRUST (radiographic score) demonstrated reliability for monitoring fracture healing in the femur and tibia, irrespective of fixation method, supporting its use as a generalizable tool across lower limb fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{AmbellanZachowvonTycowicz2021, author = {Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan and von Tycowicz, Christoph}, title = {Geodesic B-Score for Improved Assessment of Knee Osteoarthritis}, booktitle = {Proc. Information Processing in Medical Imaging (IPMI)}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2104.01107}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-78191-0_14}, pages = {177 -- 188}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Three-dimensional medical imaging enables detailed understanding of osteoarthritis structural status. However, there remains a vast need for automatic, thus, reader-independent measures that provide reliable assessment of subject-specific clinical outcomes. To this end, we derive a consistent generalization of the recently proposed B-score to Riemannian shape spaces. We further present an algorithmic treatment yielding simple, yet efficient computations allowing for analysis of large shape populations with several thousand samples. Our intrinsic formulation exhibits improved discrimination ability over its Euclidean counterpart, which we demonstrate for predictive validity on assessing risks of total knee replacement. This result highlights the potential of the geodesic B-score to enable improved personalized assessment and stratification for interventions.}, language = {en} } @article{HembusAmbellanZachowetal.2021, author = {Hembus, Jessica and Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan and Bader, Rainer}, title = {Establishment of a rolling-sliding test bench to analyze abrasive wear propagation of different bearing materials for knee implants}, volume = {11}, journal = {Applied Sciences}, number = {4}, doi = {10.3390/app11041886}, pages = {15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Currently, new materials for knee implants need to be extensively and expensive tested in a knee wear simulator in a realized design. However, using a rolling-sliding test bench, these materials can be examined under the same test conditions but with simplified geometries. In the present study, the test bench was optimized, and forces were adapted to the physiological contact pressure in the knee joint using the available geometric parameters. Various polymers made of polyethylene and polyurethane articulating against test wheels made of cobalt-chromium and aluminum titanate were tested in the test bench using adapted forces based on ISO 14243-1. Polyurethane materials showed distinctly higher wear rates than polyethylene materials and showed inadequate wear resistance for use as knee implant material. Thus, the rolling-sliding test bench is an adaptable test setup for evaluating newly developed bearing materials for knee implants. It combines the advantages of screening and simulator tests and allows testing of various bearing materials under physiological load and tribological conditions of the human knee joint. The wear behavior of different material compositions and the influence of surface geometry and quality can be initially investigated without the need to produce complex implant prototypes of total knee endoprosthesis or interpositional spacers.}, language = {en} } @misc{TackAmbellanZachow2021, author = {Tack, Alexander and Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Towards novel osteoarthritis biomarkers: Multi-criteria evaluation of 46,996 segmented knee MRI data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (Supplementary Material)}, volume = {16}, journal = {PLOS One}, number = {10}, doi = {10.12752/8328}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are the state-of-the-art for automated assessment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from medical image data. However, these methods lack interpretability, mainly focus on image texture, and cannot completely grasp the analyzed anatomies' shapes. In this study we assess the informative value of quantitative features derived from segmentations in order to assess their potential as an alternative or extension to CNN-based approaches regarding multiple aspects of KOA A fully automated method is employed to segment six anatomical structures around the knee (femoral and tibial bones, femoral and tibial cartilages, and both menisci) in 46,996 MRI scans. Based on these segmentations, quantitative features are computed, i.e., measurements such as cartilage volume, meniscal extrusion and tibial coverage, as well as geometric features based on a statistical shape encoding of the anatomies. The feature quality is assessed by investigating their association to the Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KLG), joint space narrowing (JSN), incident KOA, and total knee replacement (TKR). Using gold standard labels from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database the balanced accuracy (BA), the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC), and weighted kappa statistics are evaluated. Features based on shape encodings of femur, tibia, and menisci plus the performed measurements showed most potential as KOA biomarkers. Differentiation between healthy and severely arthritic knees yielded BAs of up to 99\%, 84\% were achieved for diagnosis of early KOA. Substantial agreement with weighted kappa values of 0.73, 0.73, and 0.79 were achieved for classification of the grade of medial JSN, lateral JSN, and KLG, respectively. The AUC was 0.60 and 0.75 for prediction of incident KOA and TKR within 5 years, respectively. Quantitative features from automated segmentations yield excellent results for KLG and JSN classification and show potential for incident KOA and TKR prediction. The validity of these features as KOA biomarkers should be further evaluated, especially as extensions of CNN-based approaches. To foster such developments we make all segmentations publicly available together with this publication.}, language = {en} } @article{SekuboyinaHusseiniBayatetal.2021, author = {Sekuboyina, Anjany and Husseini, Malek E. and Bayat, Amirhossein and L{\"o}ffler, Maximilian and Liebl, Hans and Li, Hongwei and Tetteh, Giles and Kukačka, Jan and Payer, Christian and Štern, Darko and Urschler, Martin and Chen, Maodong and Cheng, Dalong and Lessmann, Nikolas and Hu, Yujin and Wang, Tianfu and Yang, Dong and Xu, Daguang and Ambellan, Felix and Amiranashvili, Tamaz and Ehlke, Moritz and Lamecker, Hans and Lehnert, Sebastian and Lirio, Marilia and de Olaguer, Nicol{\´a}s P{\´e}rez and Ramm, Heiko and Sahu, Manish and Tack, Alexander and Zachow, Stefan and Jiang, Tao and Ma, Xinjun and Angerman, Christoph and Wang, Xin and Brown, Kevin and Kirszenberg, Alexandre and Puybareau, {\´E}lodie and Chen, Di and Bai, Yiwei and Rapazzo, Brandon H. and Yeah, Timyoas and Zhang, Amber and Xu, Shangliang and Hou, Feng and He, Zhiqiang and Zeng, Chan and Xiangshang, Zheng and Liming, Xu and Netherton, Tucker J. and Mumme, Raymond P. and Court, Laurence E. and Huang, Zixun and He, Chenhang and Wang, Li-Wen and Ling, Sai Ho and Huynh, L{\^e} Duy and Boutry, Nicolas and Jakubicek, Roman and Chmelik, Jiri and Mulay, Supriti and Sivaprakasam, Mohanasankar and Paetzold, Johannes C. and Shit, Suprosanna and Ezhov, Ivan and Wiestler, Benedikt and Glocker, Ben and Valentinitsch, Alexander and Rempfler, Markus and Menze, Bj{\"o}rn H. and Kirschke, Jan S.}, title = {VerSe: A Vertebrae labelling and segmentation benchmark for multi-detector CT images}, volume = {73}, journal = {Medical Image Analysis}, doi = {10.1016/j.media.2021.102166}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Vertebral labelling and segmentation are two fundamental tasks in an automated spine processing pipeline. Reliable and accurate processing of spine images is expected to benefit clinical decision support systems for diagnosis, surgery planning, and population-based analysis of spine and bone health. However, designing automated algorithms for spine processing is challenging predominantly due to considerable variations in anatomy and acquisition protocols and due to a severe shortage of publicly available data. Addressing these limitations, the Large Scale Vertebrae Segmentation Challenge (VerSe) was organised in conjunction with the International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) in 2019 and 2020, with a call for algorithms tackling the labelling and segmentation of vertebrae. Two datasets containing a total of 374 multi-detector CT scans from 355 patients were prepared and 4505 vertebrae have individually been annotated at voxel level by a human-machine hybrid algorithm (https://osf.io/nqjyw/, https://osf.io/t98fz/). A total of 25 algorithms were benchmarked on these datasets. In this work, we present the results of this evaluation and further investigate the performance variation at the vertebra level, scan level, and different fields of view. We also evaluate the generalisability of the approaches to an implicit domain shift in data by evaluating the top-performing algorithms of one challenge iteration on data from the other iteration. The principal takeaway from VerSe: the performance of an algorithm in labelling and segmenting a spine scan hinges on its ability to correctly identify vertebrae in cases of rare anatomical variations. The VerSe content and code can be accessed at: https://github.com/anjany/verse.}, language = {en} } @article{PichtLeCalveTomaselloetal.2021, author = {Picht, Thomas and Le Calve, Maxime and Tomasello, Rosario and Fekonja, Lucius and Gholami, Mohammad Fardin and Bruhn, Matthias and Zwick, Carola and Rabe, J{\"u}rgen P. and M{\"u}ller-Birn, Claudia and Vajkoczy, Peter and Sauer, Igor M. and Zachow, Stefan and Nyakatura, John A. and Ribault, Patricia and Pulverm{\"u}ller, Friedemann}, title = {A note on neurosurgical resection and why we need to rethink cutting}, volume = {89}, journal = {Neurosurgery}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1093/neuros/nyab326}, pages = {289 -- 291}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SiqueiraRodriguesNyakaturaZachowetal.2022, author = {Siqueira Rodrigues, Lucas and Nyakatura, John and Zachow, Stefan and Israel, Johann Habakuk}, title = {An Immersive Virtual Paleontology Application}, booktitle = {13th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2022}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-06249-0}, pages = {478 -- 481}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Virtual paleontology studies digital fossils through data analysis and visualization systems. The discipline is growing in relevance for the evident advantages of non-destructive imaging techniques over traditional paleontological methods, and it has made significant advancements during the last few decades. However, virtual paleontology still faces a number of technological challenges, amongst which are interaction shortcomings of image segmentation applications. Whereas automated segmentation methods are seldom applicable to fossil datasets, manual exploration of these specimens is extremely time-consuming as it impractically delves into three-dimensional data through two-dimensional visualization and interaction means. This paper presents an application that employs virtual reality and haptics to virtual paleontology in order to evolve its interaction paradigms and address some of its limitations. We provide a brief overview of the challenges faced by virtual paleontology practitioners, a description of our immersive virtual paleontology prototype, and the results of a heuristic evaluation of our design.}, language = {en} } @misc{AmbellanZachowvonTycowicz2021, author = {Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan and von Tycowicz, Christoph}, title = {Geodesic B-Score for Improved Assessment of Knee Osteoarthritis}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-81930}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Three-dimensional medical imaging enables detailed understanding of osteoarthritis structural status. However, there remains a vast need for automatic, thus, reader-independent measures that provide reliable assessment of subject-specific clinical outcomes. To this end, we derive a consistent generalization of the recently proposed B-score to Riemannian shape spaces. We further present an algorithmic treatment yielding simple, yet efficient computations allowing for analysis of large shape populations with several thousand samples. Our intrinsic formulation exhibits improved discrimination ability over its Euclidean counterpart, which we demonstrate for predictive validity on assessing risks of total knee replacement. This result highlights the potential of the geodesic B-score to enable improved personalized assessment and stratification for interventions.}, language = {en} } @article{GreweLiuKahletal.2021, author = {Grewe, Carl Martin and Liu, Tuo and Kahl, Christoph and Andrea, Hildebrandt and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Statistical Learning of Facial Expressions Improves Realism of Animated Avatar Faces}, volume = {2}, journal = {Frontiers in Virtual Reality}, publisher = {Frontiers}, doi = {10.3389/frvir.2021.619811}, pages = {1 -- 13}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @article{GlatzederKomnikAmbellanetal.2022, author = {Glatzeder, Korbinian and Komnik, Igor and Ambellan, Felix and Zachow, Stefan and Potthast, Wolfgang}, title = {Dynamic pressure analysis of novel interpositional knee spacer implants in 3D-printed human knee models}, volume = {12}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-20463-6}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Alternative treatment methods for knee osteoarthritis (OA) are in demand, to delay the young (< 50 Years) patient's need for osteotomy or knee replacement. Novel interpositional knee spacers shape based on statistical shape model (SSM) approach and made of polyurethane (PU) were developed to present a minimally invasive method to treat medial OA in the knee. The implant should be supposed to reduce peak strains and pain, restore the stability of the knee, correct the malalignment of a varus knee and improve joint function and gait. Firstly, the spacers were tested in artificial knee models. It is assumed that by application of a spacer, a significant reduction in stress values and a significant increase in the contact area in the medial compartment of the knee will be registered. Biomechanical analysis of the effect of novel interpositional knee spacer implants on pressure distribution in 3D-printed knee model replicas: the primary purpose was the medial joint contact stress-related biomechanics. A secondary purpose was a better understanding of medial/lateral redistribution of joint loading. Six 3D printed knee models were reproduced from cadaveric leg computed tomography. Each of four spacer implants was tested in each knee geometry under realistic arthrokinematic dynamic loading conditions, to examine the pressure distribution in the knee joint. All spacers showed reduced mean stress values by 84-88\% and peak stress values by 524-704\% in the medial knee joint compartment compared to the non-spacer test condition. The contact area was enlarged by 462-627\% as a result of the inserted spacers. Concerning the appreciable contact stress reduction and enlargement of the contact area in the medial knee joint compartment, the premises are in place for testing the implants directly on human knee cadavers to gain further insights into a possible tool for treating medial knee osteoarthritis.}, language = {en} } @article{AmiranashviliLuedkeLietal.2024, author = {Amiranashvili, Tamaz and L{\"u}dke, David and Li, Hongwei Bran and Zachow, Stefan and Menze, Bjoern}, title = {Learning continuous shape priors from sparse data with neural implicit functions}, volume = {94}, journal = {Medical Image Analysis}, doi = {10.1016/j.media.2024.103099}, pages = {103099}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Statistical shape models are an essential tool for various tasks in medical image analysis, including shape generation, reconstruction and classification. Shape models are learned from a population of example shapes, which are typically obtained through segmentation of volumetric medical images. In clinical practice, highly anisotropic volumetric scans with large slice distances are prevalent, e.g., to reduce radiation exposure in CT or image acquisition time in MR imaging. For existing shape modeling approaches, the resolution of the emerging model is limited to the resolution of the training shapes. Therefore, any missing information between slices prohibits existing methods from learning a high-resolution shape prior. We propose a novel shape modeling approach that can be trained on sparse, binary segmentation masks with large slice distances. This is achieved through employing continuous shape representations based on neural implicit functions. After training, our model can reconstruct shapes from various sparse inputs at high target resolutions beyond the resolution of individual training examples. We successfully reconstruct high-resolution shapes from as few as three orthogonal slices. Furthermore, our shape model allows us to embed various sparse segmentation masks into a common, low-dimensional latent space — independent of the acquisition direction, resolution, spacing, and field of view. We show that the emerging latent representation discriminates between healthy and pathological shapes, even when provided with sparse segmentation masks. Lastly, we qualitatively demonstrate that the emerging latent space is smooth and captures characteristic modes of shape variation. We evaluate our shape model on two anatomical structures: the lumbar vertebra and the distal femur, both from publicly available datasets.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{AmiranashviliLuedkeLietal.2022, author = {Amiranashvili, Tamaz and L{\"u}dke, David and Li, Hongwei and Menze, Bjoern and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Learning Shape Reconstruction from Sparse Measurements with Neural Implicit Functions}, booktitle = {Medical Imaging with Deep Learning}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Reconstructing anatomical shapes from sparse or partial measurements relies on prior knowledge of shape variations that occur within a given population. Such shape priors are learned from example shapes, obtained by segmenting volumetric medical images. For existing models, the resolution of a learned shape prior is limited to the resolution of the training data. However, in clinical practice, volumetric images are often acquired with highly anisotropic voxel sizes, e.g. to reduce image acquisition time in MRI or radiation exposure in CT imaging. The missing shape information between the slices prohibits existing methods to learn a high-resolution shape prior. We introduce a method for high-resolution shape reconstruction from sparse measurements without relying on high-resolution ground truth for training. Our method is based on neural implicit shape representations and learns a continuous shape prior only from highly anisotropic segmentations. Furthermore, it is able to learn from shapes with a varying field of view and can reconstruct from various sparse input configurations. We demonstrate its effectiveness on two anatomical structures: vertebra and femur, and successfully reconstruct high-resolution shapes from sparse segmentations, using as few as three orthogonal slices.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{LuedkeAmiranashviliAmbellanetal.2022, author = {L{\"u}dke, David and Amiranashvili, Tamaz and Ambellan, Felix and Ezhov, Ivan and Menze, Bjoern and Zachow, Stefan}, title = {Landmark-free Statistical Shape Modeling via Neural Flow Deformations}, volume = {13432}, booktitle = {Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention - MICCAI 2022}, publisher = {Springer, Cham}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2209.06861}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-16434-7_44}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Statistical shape modeling aims at capturing shape variations of an anatomical structure that occur within a given population. Shape models are employed in many tasks, such as shape reconstruction and image segmentation, but also shape generation and classification. Existing shape priors either require dense correspondence between training examples or lack robustness and topological guarantees. We present FlowSSM, a novel shape modeling approach that learns shape variability without requiring dense correspondence between training instances. It relies on a hierarchy of continuous deformation flows, which are parametrized by a neural network. Our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in providing an expressive and robust shape prior for distal femur and liver. We show that the emerging latent representation is discriminative by separating healthy from pathological shapes. Ultimately, we demonstrate its effectiveness on two shape reconstruction tasks from partial data. Our source code is publicly available (https://github.com/davecasp/flowssm).}, language = {en} }