Osteotomy simulation and soft tissue prediction using computer tomography scans

In this paper, a system is presented that can be used to simulate osteotomies of the skull and to estimate the resulting of tissue changes. Thus, the three-dimensional, photorealistic, postoperative appearance of a patient can be assessed. The system is based on a computer tomography scan and a photorealistic laser scan of the patient's face. In order to predict the postoperative appearance of a patient the soft tissue must follow the movement of the underlying bone. In this paper, a multi-layer soft tissue model is proposed that is based on springs. It incorporates features like skin turgor, gravity and sliding bone contact. The prediction of soft tissue changes due to bone realignments is computed using a very efficient and robust optimization method. The system can handle individual patient data sets and has been tested with several clinical cases. (author)