Optimization of decimation protocols for advancing the validity of 3D model data

3D models are frequently used for augmenting gross anatomy education, constructing 3D prints that are used in myriad applications, collecting data in biomedical research, and improving patient outcomes from surgery. The rapidity with which 3D modeling has been developed has resulted in a wide range of applications, but a dearth of information concerning optimal methodological practices and the influence of data processing variations on the results of computational analyses. One of the most important subjects that still needs to be examined in detail is the influence of the decimation process on 3D model morphology. Decimation (i.e., mesh complexity simplification) is a very common data processing step used to obtain more computationally efficient 3D models. Recent studies have revealed that requisite 3D mesh acquisition and processing practices can dramatically influence the quantitative data collected from 3D meshes.1, 2 However, the exact impact of the decimation process on quantitative morphological data is not well-understood. The current investigation evaluates the hypothesis that visually comparable 3D meshes of disparate mesh complexities may actually yield significantly different morphological data.