Fast routine for the reduction of artifacts caused by metallic implants in CT images

Solutions to the problem of artifacts on CT scns caused by metallic implants have been proposed in the literature but are not practicable. The authors investigated a pragmatic approach which does not completely remove artifacts but does significantly reduce them. The projection data that are missing or distorted, owing to the metallic implants, are replaced by linear interpolation processes. The complete procedure demands processing times of 1-2 minutes per scan. Improvements in diagnostic value are drastic for pelvic implants. Success is limited in highly structured regions, such as teeth with dental reconstructions. The algorithm employed is discussed in detail