An anatomical database providing three-dimensional geometric representation of lower limb structures

An anatomical database was constructed containing three-dimensional geometr ic representations of the structures comprising the lower extremity. The da tabase was constructed by digitizing 100 high-resolution digital photograph ic images supplied from the National Library of Medicine's Visual Human Mal e (VHM) project. These images were taken of sequential transverse cross-sec tional slices of the leg. Slices were located 1 cm apart between a location approximately 3 mm below the superior aspect of the ilium and approximatel y 2 mm below the distal end of the fibula. Image Tool Software (v. 2.0) was used to manually digitize the perimeters of muscles, tendons, and bones of the pelvis, thigh, and shank from the right leg of the VHM. Additionally, the perimeter of the leg and the inner aspect of the superficial fat layer were digitized. The pelvis was digitized as a hemi-pelvis. Tissue perimeter s were characterized using between 10 and 151 nodes within each slice; the number of nodes varied depending on the tissue's size. Transverse cross-sec tional slice number, structure identification, node number, and the two-dim ensional coordinates of each node were stored in a data file. The informati on contained in this file is unique and provides a database that researcher s can use to investigate questions related to tissue anatomy and movement m echanics that cannot be considered using existing musculoskeletal data sets .