[Insight-users] Deformation Inquiry

[Michael Hardisty]

Hello,
          I am attempting to build an application that does a deformable 
registration.  The registration is to be performed on two scans of the 
same bone,  in the first scan the bone is just scanned, in the second a 
force is applied to the bone and compressed a small amount.  I am 
interested in obtaining the deformation field (strain field) from this 
analysis.  I have noticed that there are several methods of approaching 
the problem within ITK.  One, which I have implemented is to do a 
deformable registration (I am using an affine transformation), another 
that I have recently been reviewing in the Software guide and online in 
the deformable registration presentation is the use of the FEM framework 
within ITK.  I am wondering about what the advantages or disadvantages 
of these two approaches.  Which approach would you suggest that I apply 
to my problem?  I am assuming that the ImageMetricLoad is some way of 
deforming an FEM as a result of some sort of image metric that measures 
similarity of two images.  I would like the chance to integrate 
different forces other than just Image similarity.  I am also attracted 
by the ability to control the mesh.

Is the description of the FEM framework that I have described above 
correct?  Would the FEM framework be appropriate for my application and 
what should I do to begin?

Is there more documentation of how this framework works outside of the 
software guide and the Doxygen generated documentation?

Is there another technique that I am ignoring that would be more 
appropriate?

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M.A.Sc Student
University of Toronto
Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory
Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre