System and method for DXA tomo-based finite element analysis of bones

摘要

An imaging system utilizes 2D DXA images obtained in a tomographic imaging process or mode in order to provide more detailed information to the operator of the bone structure of the patient. The imaging system obtains multiple 2D DXA images at different angles with regard to the patient in a number of passes across the body of the patient. These 2D DXA images can then be utilized to reconstruct at least one 2D slice of the body of the patient, such as in a plane parallel to the plane of a patient support surface, such as a scanner table. The information provided by the tomographic reconstruction provides enhancements to the process of modifying a 3D FEA model associated to an already available set of tomographic reconstructed slices selected from the comparison with the current tomographic reconstructed slices. In this manner, the system and method provide a significant reduction in the error of the resulting modified 3D FEA model for review and analysis compared to a 2D approach.