Abstract
The anatomy of the pelvic floor is complex and the structures interact in non-obvious ways to maintain continence. Thus, a visualizable model would help our understanding of this part of the body. The goal of this project was to establish the methods necessary to develop a static three-dimensional (3-D) model of the normal female pelvic floor. An asymptomatic nulliparous twenty-three year old female with no urinary incontinence symptoms underwent a pelvic floor MRI scan. Manual segmentations were done of selected pelvic floor structures: bladder, urethra, vagina, uterus, cervix, levator ani, obturator externus, obturator internus, and pubic bone (Mimics, Materialise). 3 clinicians verified accuracy of the 3-D models. With high-resolution scans, accurate segmentation of the structures was possible. Three-dimensional models of the female pelvic floor could enhance our understanding of anatomy. They can be used as tools for research and teaching, facilitating improved treatment of pelvic floor pathologies.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2414-2415 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology - Proceedings |
| Volume | 3 |
| State | Published - 2002 |
| Event | Proceedings of the 2002 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 24th Annual Conference and the 2002 Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES / EMBS) - Houston, TX, United States Duration: Oct 23 2002 → Oct 26 2002 |
Keywords
- Anatomy
- Female
- Model
- Pelvic floor
- Three-dimensional
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Signal Processing
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
- Health Informatics