An Adaptive Region Growing Method to Segment Inferior Alveolar Nerve Canal from 3D Medical Images for Dental Implant Surgery

Abstract

In implant surgeries, dentists need to consider the depth and angle of the fixture and density around the bone. Dentists must also consider the distance between the fixture and the inferior alveolar nerve canal. If the distance to a nerve is not taken into account, serious injury may result, leading to medical problems. Therefore, we use a method that automatically or semi-automatically finds nerves in computed tomography images. This method can help dentists find the inferior alveolar nerve canal before implant surgery, thereby reducing the risk of injury to patients. This research concerns the application of the seeded region growing method. We segment the inferior alveolar nerve canal from computed tomography images and show it in three dimensions. This will help dentists find the inferior alveolar nerve canal when they plan for implant surgery.