Abstract
Both surface rendering and volume rendering have been extensively applied to CT data for 3-D visualization of skeletal pathology. This review illustrates potential limitations of each technique by directly comparing 3-D images of bone pathology created using volume rendering and surface rendering. Surface renderings show gross 3-D relationships most effectively, but suffer from more stairstep artifacts and fail to effectively display lesions hidden behind overlying bone or located beneath the bone cortex. Volume-rendering algorithms effectively show subcortical lesions, minimally displaced fractures, and hidden areas of interest with few artifacts. Volume algorithms show 3-D relationships with varying degrees of success depending on the degree of surface shading and opacity. While surface rendering creates more three-dimensionally realistic images of the bone surface, it may be of limited clinical utility due to numerous artifacts and the inability to show subcortical pathology. Volume rendering is a flexible 3-D technique that effectively displays a variety of skeletal pathology with few artifacts.
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Kuszyk, B., Heath, D., Bliss, D. et al. Skeletal 3-D CT: advantages of volume rendering over surface rendering. Skeletal Radiol 25, 207–214 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002560050066
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002560050066