Bone fracture detection using active contour model with prior shape

In this research, an image segmentation method based on active contouring model was studied, which incorporates the prior shape into the active contour evolving process as the global constraint. The active contour model is implemented based on the level set method. The prior shape regulates the behavior of the active contour and keeps it from leaking out of the weak edges. The goal of this research is to determine the displacement and alignment between two fractured pieces of a bone which is encased in the cast material by segmenting them out and calculating their axes difference. The noise introduced by the cast material makes this task difficult. Morphological operations of dilation and erosion are deployed in this research as the noise reduction and edge detection tool. Experiment results are obtained successfully by applying this method upon the X-ray images of patients' fractured arm.