Determination of Average Contour of Thais Skulls for Design of Implants

Abstract

In this study, 100 dry skulls of Thais collected at the Srinagarind Hospital in Khon Kaen, Thailand were CT scanned and served for the investigation of the geometric average contour of Thais skulls. Moreover, measurements of distances between landmark points on skulls (cranial anthropometry) were made with this set of skulls for future standardization of skull implants. Thus the main purpose of this study was to determine the average contour of Thai skulls using techniques of medical image processing, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and reverse engineering software tools. After obtaining the average contour or the skull template we were able to select a region of interest and cut it for each proper standardized implant. These standardized implants will reduce the time for surgeons in implant preparation process. With their presence there is no longer necessity for CT scanning process and therefore treatment costs for a patient decrease considerably. Therefore, the result will be a good alternative for cranioplasty compared with conventional methods.