Automated Building Block Assignments for Finite Element Mesh Development of Patient-Specific Orthopaedic Models

Medical imaging technologies have allowed for in vivo exploration and evaluation of the human musculoskeletal system. The utility of these technologies has grown exponentially as the time required for data collection has decreased and the image resolution has increased. Medical imaging obviously has diagnostic value, but the vast amount of information contained within each image set is useful in other important applications including the modeling and analysis of anatomic structures. With advances in both the resolution of the acquired images and computing power, patient-specific orthopaedic model development is becoming a reality.