Methods for Visualization of Bone Tissue in the Proximity of Implants

In this work we present two methods for visualization of SR mu CT-scanned 3D volumes of screw-shaped bone implant samples: thread fly-through and 2D unfolding. The thread fly-through generates an animation by following the thread helix and extracting slices along it. Relevant features, such as bone ratio and bone implant contact, are computed for each slice of the animation and displayed as graphs beside the animation. The 2D unfolding, on the other hand, maps the implant surface onto which feature information is projected to a 2D image, providing an instant overview of the whole implant. The unfolding is made area-preserving when appropriate. These visualization methods facilitate better understanding of the bone-implant integration and provides a good platform for communication between involved experts.