Visualization of stereoscopic anatomic models of the paranasal sinuses and cervical vertebrae from the surgical and procedural perspective

Recent improvements in three-dimensional (3D) virtual modeling software allows anatomists to generate high-resolution, visually appealing, colored, anatomical 3D models from computed tomography (CT) images. In this study, high-resolution CT images of a cadaver were used to develop clinically relevant anatomic models including facial skull, nasal cavity, septum, turbinates, paranasal sinuses, optic nerve, pituitary gland, carotid artery, cervical vertebrae, atlanto-axial joint, cervical spinal cord, cervical nerve root, and vertebral artery that can be used to teach clinical trainees (students, residents, and fellows) approaches for trans-sphenoidal pituitary surgery and cervical spine injection procedure. Volume, surface rendering and a new rendering technique, semi-auto-combined, were applied in the study. These models enable visualization, manipulation, and interaction on a computer and can be presented in a stereoscopic 3D virtual environment, which makes users feel as if they are inside the model. Anat Sci Educ 10: 598–606.