Biomechanical 3-D finite element modeling of the human breast using MRI data

Abstract

Breast tissue deformation modeling has recently gained considerable interest in various medical applications. A biomechanical model of the breast is presented using a finite element (FE) formulation. Emphasis is given to the modeling of breast tissue deformation which takes place in breast imaging procedures. The first step in implementing the FE modeling (FEM) procedure is mesh generation. For objects with irregular and complex geometries such as the breast, this step is one of the most difficult and tedious tasks. For FE mesh generation, two automated methods are presented which process MRI breast images to create a patient-specific mesh. The main components of the breast are adipose, fibroglandular and skin tissues. For modeling the adipose and fibroglandular tissues, we used eight noded hexahedral elements with hyperelastic properties, while for the skin, we chose four noded hyperelastic membrane elements. For model validation, an MR image of an agarose phantom was acquired and corresponding FE meshes were created. Based on assigned elasticity parameters, a numerical experiment was performed using the FE meshes, and good results were obtained. The model was also applied to a breast image registration problem of a volunteer's breast. Although qualitatively reasonable, further work is required to validate the results quantitatively.

The Solution of Inverse Non‐Linear Elasticity Problems That Arise When Locating Breast Tumours

“…Previous work on soft tissue modelling has been applied to the breast [5][6][7][8][9], the heart [10][11][12] and the liver [18]. All of these authors use the finite element method to solve the governing equations although, as full details of the scheme used are sometimes not given, it is not always possible to comment on the suitability of the scheme used.…”

“…Azar et al [5,13] model the whole displacement as consisting of a large number of tiny displacements that are computed using linear elasticity, this approach allows an exponential stress -strain relationship to be built into the model. Samani et al [6] and Liu et al [7] used non-linear elasticity when computing displacements, allowing more general stress -strain relationships to be built into the model.…”

Phenomenological Model of Diffuse Global and Regional Atrophy Using Finite-Element Methods

“…It offers the possibility of predicting mechanical or physical deformations through the simulation of anatomical structures and their interactions, as well as the estimation of material properties from observations. FEM have been applied in the modelling of different anatomical structures, involving liver [47]- [49], heart [46], [50], or mammography data [40], [51]- [54]. With respect to brain modelling, FEM have been used for image-guided surgery [55]- [58] or interventional [59], [60] procedures, registration systems [61], tumor growth simulation [62], or the estimation of brain tissue biomechanical properties [63], amongst other applications.…”

Data-Driven Breast Decompression and Lesion Mapping from Digital Breast Tomosynthesis

“…This allows us to compute a thin-plate spline (TPS) interpolation for lesion mapping. Despite the huge body of literature on biomechanical breast modeling [2,3] and its applications in the context of 2D mammography [4] there are few publications dealing with DBT. As a notable exception van Schie et al [5] match corresponding regions from ipsilateral DBT views (MLO and CC).…”