MRI Slice Segmentation and 3D Modelling of Temporomandibular Joint Measured by Microscopic Coil

The paper focuses on the segmentation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) slices and 3D modelling of the temporomandibular joint disc in order to help physicians diagnose patients with dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The TMJ is one of the most complex joints in the human body. The most common joint dysfunction is due to the disc. The disc is a soft tissue, which in principle cannot be diagnosed by the CT method. Therefore, a 3D model is made from the MRI slices, which can image soft tissues. For the segmentation of the disc in individual slices a new method is developed based on spatial distribution and anatomical TMJ structure with automatic thresholding. The thresholding is controlled by a genetic algorithm. The 3D model is realized using the marching cube method.