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On computerized methods for spine analysis in MRI: a systematic review

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

In the last decades, the increasing medical interest in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine gave rise to a growing number of publications on computerized methods for spine analysis, covering goals such as localization and segmentation of vertebrae and intervertebral discs as well as the extraction and segmentation of the spinal canal and cord. We provide a critical systematic review to work in the field, putting focus on approaches that can be applied to different imaging sequences and settings.

Methods

Work is analysed on two levels. First, methods are reviewed in detail so that the reader understands justifications and constraints of particular work. Second, work is classified according to relevant attributes and tabulated to give an impression on recent trends. We discuss the general methodical and evaluational aspects of the work as well as challenges specific to MRI such as the lack of intensity standardization and partial volume effects.

Results

Methods can be condensed to a small number of optimization frameworks, e.g., graphical models, cost-minimal paths and deformable models. Works sharing the same framework mainly differentiate by the types of information, i.e., pose, geometry and appearance, that are used and by the implementation thereof. MRI-specific challenges are rarely addressed explicitly, calling into question the applicability of most methods to changing imaging sequences or settings. Most often, little attention is paid to evaluation, meaning that results lack comparability and reproducibility although publicly available data sets exist.

Conclusion

The diversity of MRI sequences and settings still poses challenges to computerized spine analysis. Further research is necessary to implement methods that are actually applicable in practice, e.g., in clinical routine or for study purposes. Certainly, manual guidance will be necessary at some point, for instance to deal with changing subject positions. Therefore, future work should put attention to the appropriate integration of manual interaction.

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  1. Department of Simulation and Graphics, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany

    Marko Rak & Klaus D. Tönnies

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All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Rak, M., Tönnies, K.D. On computerized methods for spine analysis in MRI: a systematic review. Int J CARS 11, 1445–1465 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-016-1350-2

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