Rib cage segmentation in CT scans

Abstract

The need for reliable segmentations of rib cages in 3D images like CT or MRI is a first importance problem in the field of medical imaging. This task is still an open challenge for a number of reasons: ribs may have no clear boundaries; some rib or parts of ribs may be missing, and scans obtained in clinical practice often contain pathologies like scoliosis, that cause complex deformations of the rib cage including rotation and distortions. This literature study aims to give a critical review of the methods currently used for segmenting the rib cage. The methods investigated were taken from fifteen research works on CT scans published from 1999 to 2013. Each method is accurately analyzed, highlighting its strong and weak points in comparison with the other methods, indicating its suitability for clinical usage and possible improvements.