1
|
Buzi C, Profico A, Liang C, Khonsari RH, O'Higgins P, Moazen M, Harvati K. Icex: Advances in the automatic extraction and volume calculation of cranial cavities. J Anat 2023; 242:1172-1183. [PMID: 36774197 PMCID: PMC10184549 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of non-destructive approaches for digital acquisition (e.g. computerised tomography-CT) allows detailed qualitative and quantitative study of internal structures of skeletal material. Here, we present a new R-based software tool, Icex, applicable to the study of the sizes and shapes of skeletal cavities and fossae in 3D digital images. Traditional methods of volume extraction involve the manual labelling (i.e. segmentation) of the areas of interest on each section of the image stack. This is time-consuming, error-prone and challenging to apply to complex cavities. Icex facilitates rapid quantification of such structures. We describe and detail its application to the isolation and calculation of volumes of various cranial cavities. The R tool is used here to automatically extract the orbital volumes, the paranasal sinuses, the nasal cavity and the upper oral volumes, based on the coordinates of 18 cranial anatomical points used to define their limits, from 3D cranial surface meshes obtained by segmenting CT scans. Icex includes an algorithm (Icv) for the calculation of volumes by defining a 3D convex hull of the extracted cavity. We demonstrate the use of Icex on an ontogenetic sample (0-19 years) of modern humans and on the fossil hominin crania Kabwe (Broken Hill) 1, Gibraltar (Forbes' Quarry) and Guattari 1. We also test the tool on three species of non-human primates. In the modern human subsample, Icex allowed us to perform a preliminary analysis on the absolute and relative expansion of cranial sinuses and pneumatisations during growth. The performance of Icex, applied to diverse crania, shows the potential for an extensive evaluation of the developmental and/or evolutionary significance of hollow cranial structures. Furthermore, being open source, Icex is a fully customisable tool, easily applicable to other taxa and skeletal regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Costantino Buzi
- DFG Centre of Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Tarragona, Spain.,Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | | | - Ce Liang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Roman H Khonsari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Plastic Surgery, Necker - Enfants Malades University Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Paul O'Higgins
- Department of Archaeology and Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
| | - Mehran Moazen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Katerina Harvati
- DFG Centre of Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Paleoanthropology, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lozano M, Gamarra B, Hernando R, Ceperuelo D. Microscopic and virtual approaches to oral pathology: A case study from El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). Ann Anat 2021; 239:151827. [PMID: 34481939 DOI: 10.1016/j.aanat.2021.151827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The analysis and diagnosis of ancient oral pathologies have been improved with the application of new techniques such as microscopy and scanning methods over the past few decades. However, the enhancement of the diagnosis implies a prior knowledge of the availability and suitability of such equipments. METHODS In this work we examined 3D digital and scanning electron microscopy and two computed tomography systems (CBCT and microCT) in order to assess dental and oral disease of the individuals of a Chalcolithic collective burial from El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS 3D Digital microscopy and CBCT are excellent options to analyze dental pathologies as they are more frequently available, sample preparation is not required, easy to operate, offer excellent images and the possibility of measurements and 3D reconstructions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Lozano
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Beatriz Gamarra
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Raquel Hernando
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Dolors Ceperuelo
- Department of Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, C/Josep Trueta s/n, Sant Cugat del Vallès, 08195 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|