Summer J Decker

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Verified

Summer verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• Ph.D.
• Professor at Keck School of Medicine USC

This paper presents the outcome of the first international forensic radiology and imaging research summit, organized by the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging, the International Association of Forensic Radiographers, the National Institute of Justice of the United States of America, and the Netherlands Forensic Institute. Durin...

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, can be detected in respiratory samples by Real-time Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR or other molecular methods. Accessibility of diagnostic testing for COVID-19 has been limited by intermittent shortages of supplies required for testing, includ...

The use of postmortem computed tomography in forensic medicine, in addition to conventional autopsy, is now a standard procedure in several countries. However, the large number of cases, the large amount of data, and the lack of postmortem radiology experts have pushed researchers to develop solutions that are able to automate diagnosis by applying...

Objective We hypothesized that a method to segment human airways from clinical cases and import them into a case presentation environment in Virtual Reality (VR) could be developed to model and visualize complex airway stenosis for efficient surgical planning. Methods One normal and two pathological airways modeled from CT scans at a slice thickne...

In this case report, we explore a novel technique to remove an embolized Watchman device (Boston Scientific) into the thoracic aorta endovascularly. The technique involves a wire + snare combination that is threaded through the metal struts of the Watchman. This combination technique along with the threading provides increased stability during remo...

Background The use of medical 3D printing (focusing on anatomical modeling) has continued to grow since the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) 3D Printing Special Interest Group (3DPSIG) released its initial guideline and appropriateness rating document in 2018. The 3DPSIG formed a focused writing group to provide updated appropriatenes...

Background Medical three dimensional (3D) printing is performed for neurosurgical and otolaryngologic conditions, but without evidence-based guidance on clinical appropriateness. A writing group composed of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Special Interest Group on 3D Printing (SIG) provides appropriateness recommendations for neuro...

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between vertebral margins at individual vertebral levels between T12‐L5 vertebra and chronological age and develop predictive models. Three hundred and nineteen CT scans from a medical imaging database in North America were randomly selected. Three superior and inferior vertebral margin si...

Ectoparasitic cookiecutter sharks (Chondrichthyes: Squaliformes: Dalatiidae; Isistius) share common features for jaw and teeth structure, in particular, robust lower jaws and dignathic heterodonty (upper teeth crowns are more slender and shorter than the broader and longer lower teeth crowns). The jaws and teeth are well suited for feeding by excis...

Objective To assess the ability of current 3D printing technology to generate a craniofacial bony and soft tissue anatomical model for use in simulating the performance of a fronto-orbital advancement (FOA) osteotomy and then to further assess the value of the model as an educational tool. Design Anatomic models were designed with a process of ser...

Understanding imaging research experiences, challenges, and strategies for academic radiology departments during and after COVID-19 is critical to prepare for future disruptive events. We summarize key insights and programmatic initiatives at major academic hospitals across the world, based on literature review and meetings of the Radiological Soci...

Purpose Endorectal brachytherapy is an effective treatment for select patients with rectal cancer, particularly in re-irradiation cases. In the United States, this technique is underutilized. Herein we describe, to our knowledge, the first report of a previously irradiated rectal cancer patient treated with a 3D-printed Endorectal High Dose Rate Br...

Background Given the increased incidence of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries and the projected increase in reconstruction procedures, a robust understanding of the morphologic location of the sublime tubercle is paramount to anatomic reconstruction. There is limited research evaluating the morphology of the sublime tubercle of the proximal...

Fractography has been shown to be applicable to forensic assessments of skeletal trauma by observing the presence and orientation of fracture surface features, which reveal information about the direction of crack propagation. Previous studies have examined dry or processed bone surfaces, often fractured under controlled experimental conditions. He...

Three-dimensional (3D) modeling and printing in medicine have emerged to encompass every aspect of medical applications. This ranges from education, illustration, and treatment, as well as patient care whether for purposes of diagnosis or treatment and surgical planning. In the past few decades, these novel tools have shown promising utility to hel...

Many forensic institutes worldwide use postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) as a standard imaging modality. A variety of techniques, such as visualization, polygonization, volumetry, autopsy planning and 3D printing, require knowledge about case-specific anatomy and pathologies. The means by which voxels are assigned additional information regardi...

Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) is a standard image modality used in forensic death investigations. Case- and audience-specific visualizations are vital for identifying relevant findings and communicating them appropriately. Different data types and visualization methods exist in 2D and 3D, and all of these types have specific applications. 2...

Tissue clearing technologies can greatly improve the depth and accuracy with which the threedimensional structure of tissues, especially those of the nervous system, can be visualized. A review of the present literature suggests that the growing diversity and sophistication of various approaches have contributed to the expansion of this method to a...

Background: Surgical strategy in vestibular schwannomas may require subtotal resection to preserve neurological function. Residual tumor growth pattern and contrast enhancement in the immediate post-resection period remains uncertain. We sought to evaluate changes in the enhancement pattern and volume of vestibular schwannomas after subtotal resec...

Spontaneous left ventricular pseudoaneurysms are very rare and can have catastrophic consequences if unrecognized. A case of combined spontaneous left ventricular aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm in Behcet's disease (BD) has been reported. The case emphasizes advanced techniques for percutaneous closure of the defects with the use of an ex‐vivo three‐di...

3D printing has positively impacted the shortage of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple designs are described, as was the thought process and trials leading to the current design from the University of South Florida (USF) Health and Northwell Health have that has been printed an estimated 25 million times. This chapter...

Abstract The nasopharyngeal swab is a critical component of the COVID-19 testing kit. Supply chain remains greatly impacted by the pandemic. Teams from USF Health Radiology and Northwell Health System developed a 3D-printed stopgap alternative. This descriptive study details the workflow and provides guidance for hospital-based 3D printing labs to...

Background: Mortality after gluteal augmentation with fat transfer techniques is extremely high. Placement of fat subcutaneously versus in the gluteal musculature, or both, are considerably debated. The purpose of this study was to radiographically show the anatomical difference in live subjects in different procedural positions: the flexed or "Ja...

Image-guided procedures, such as those in radiology, are frequently reliant on data which is visualized on traditional monitors. In an operating theatre, these monitors are often placed at poor ergonomic positions, causing physicians to rotate their heads to the side while their hands are working before them. This study seeks to investigate whether...

Background: Accurate quantitative data of the adult bony orbital volume and dimension are needed for treatment optimization. In the present study, the authors aim to evaluate adult orbital volume and corresponding linear dimensions according to age, volume, and individual symmetry. Methods: Seventy computerized tomography facial scans of adults...

The success of a total hip arthroplasty is directly related to the ability of the implant to match original femoral morphology. Given this critical relationship, we characterized normal proximal femoral morphology as it relates to sex, age, and symmetry. Sixty abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scans (30 male and 30 female, ages 20–85 years ol...

Sex and age are two elements in the establishment of a biological profile for forensic identification. While the pelvic bones are the most ideal structures for sex estimation, the condition of a body is not always ideal due to the nature of death, such as in mass disasters, or postmortem processes. This study utilized CT scans and resultant 3D mode...

When skeletal remains are found scattered or in fragmentary conditions, the establishment of a biological profile of unknown individuals can be proven difficult. Consequently, multiple methods to ascertain the sex of the individual must be developed. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that computed tomographic (CT)–derived 3D models of lu...

Introduction: Lateral cephalometric radiographs (LCR) have been the standard tool used for cephalometric analysis in craniofacial surgery. Over the past decade, a three-dimensional (3D) revolution in cephalometric analysis and surgical planning has been underway. To date, research has not validated whether cephalometric measurements taken from two...

Rationale and objective: Forensic radiology is a relatively unknown subspecialty which is becoming increasingly more important. The field incorporates antemortem and postmortem imaging for the detection and documentation of various pathologies for medicolegal purposes. Postmortem imaging is increasingly used in conjunction with the traditional aut...

The nature of forensic anthropology presents a number of ethical challenges to its practitioners. Some of these issues are similar to those encountered in bioarchaeology or biological anthropology, but a number of dilemmas are unique to the discipline. These ethical challenges are continually growing and becoming more significant as forensic anthro...

Background Little published data exist regarding normal values of disc height. Current literature relies on plain radiographs making accurate measurements of individual lumbar disc height difficult. Objective We seek to establish normal values for lumbar intervertebral discs in different age groups using computed tomography scans in healthy indivi...

Introduction: Direct anthropometric and three-dimensional (3D) photogrammetry measurements have been used extensively in cleft/craniofacial surgery to assess morphological changes and surgical outcomes. Craniofacial procedures alter the sagittal projection of periorbital bony prominences. Mulliken described a method of measuring their projection r...

The objective of this project was to document the efficacy of part-to-part comparison of computed tomography (CT)-derived three-dimensional (3D) models of the lumbar spine in forensic personal identification. By testing the methodology, this study aimed to provide a new technique of quantifiable (through a percent match) positive identification tha...

Objectives: To present a technique for the use of computed tomography (CT) scans in opportunistic screening for osteoporosis in patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures and to quantify the potential clinical impact in a geriatric trauma population. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Level 1 trauma center. Patients: A total of...

Previous chapters in this text have demonstrated some of the applications of three-dimensional (3D) imaging capture methods including medical imaging (X-ray/CT/MRI), 3D surface or laser scanning, 3D photography, and microscopy. This chapter will discuss what exactly 3D data is filewise and what information is embedded in those files. It will also m...

Aspects of the present invention provide implants for augmentation, stabilization, or defect reconstruction of bone tissue, comprising a scaffold portion structured to provide shape to the implant, the scaffold portion comprising one or more of the following: one or more polylactic acid isomer; one or more polyglycolic acid isomer; and/or allogenic...

The Association of University Radiologists Radiology Research Alliance Task Force on three-dimensional (3D) printing presents a review of the logistic considerations for establishing a clinical service using this new technology, specifically focused on implications for radiology. Specific topics include printer selection for 3D printing, software s...

Three-dimensional (3D) printing refers to a number of manufacturing technologies that create physical models from digital information. Radiology is poised to advance the application of 3D printing in health care because our specialty has an established history of acquiring and managing the digital information needed to create such models. The 3D Pr...

Human Remains – Another Dimension: The Application of 3D Imaging in the Funerary Context brings together scattered literature on the topic, assimilating disparate pieces that relate to the novel use of non-invasive three-dimensional imaging techniques in the forensic context. All chapters are written by specialists in the field who use these types...

Objective: To perform a survey-based assessment of current contrast reaction training in US diagnostic radiology residency programs. Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to radiology residency program directors from 9/2015-11/2015. Results: 25.7% of programs responded. 95.7% of those who responded provide contrast reaction management...

The purpose of this article is to review the normal appearance and common complications of the airway anastomosis in lung transplant patients with emphasis on computed tomography images with bronchoscopic correlation. The spectrum of complications will be presented as early (<1 mo after transplant) or late (>1 mo). Variations in surgical technique...

Lobar torsion is well documented after pneumonectomy, but is very rare after lung transplant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the twelfth reported case of lobar torsion after lung transplant. In our case, bronchoscopies and chest radiographs were inconclusive; however, CT scan clearly demonstrated findings consistent with right middle lobe to...

Between 2004 and 2012, US funding for the biomedical sciences decreased to historic lows. Health-related research was crippled by receiving only 1/20th of overall federal scientific funding. Despite the current funding climate, there is increased pressure on academic radiology programs to establish productive research programs. Whereas larger progr...

A custom oral splint that is operatively secured to the maxilla and mandible of a subject/patient to assist in reduction and provide maintenance of reduction of maxillary and mandibular fractures in the edentulous or partially edentulous subject/patient. In this difficult patient population, there are very limited options for maxillomandibular fixa...

Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation occurs in 1-3% of the adult population. It occurs most frequently in individuals between 30 and 50 years of age. Interbody discectomy and fusion are one of the basic treatments to repair injured discs. The aim of this repair is to relive the compression of the neural elements, restore the disc height, restore th...

Introduction: The study of skeletal muscle is one of the major areas of interest in biomechanics and human motion studies. Several muscle models exist that attempt to describe the mechanical behaviors of skeletal muscle. The mathematical representation of skeletal muscle has been used in conjunction with a variety of two- dimensional (2-D) and thre...

Introduction: Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries and a buildup of plaque that occludes the vessel, making it rigid and unyielding. It is one of the most common vascular diseases in the United States, putting a huge economic burden on the health care system in terms of diagnosis and treatment. While the hemodynamic properties that play a...

Operational Divers are often exposed to high pressure for extended periods while conducting deep dives. To enhance the performance and safety of these divers elevation of ketone bodies in the blood might be considered, as those have proven to serve as alternative fuel for the brain, to enhance physical and cognitive performance and delayed the onse...

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis in the hand and yet there are no disease-modifying treatments. In recent years, some have theorized that OA might be related to, if not part of, metabolic syndromes. Multiple studies have provided evidence to support the significance of the sympathetic nervous system in metabolic s...

Rationale and objectives: A survey was administered to fourth-year radiology residents after receiving their results from the first American Board of Radiology (ABR) Core examination in 2013. The purpose was to gather information regarding resources and study strategies to share with program directors and future resident classes. Materials and me...

PURPOSE Characterization of the relationships between orbital bones, orbital contents, and the surrounding facial skeleton is a historic source of interest, and the restoration of their ideal relationships remains the focus of surgical intervention. Accurate depiction of these relationships has the potential to impact pathologic diagnosis, operati...

Objective Forensic practitioners are becoming more reliant on virtual models for identification, analysis, and evidence preservation. Image slice thickness can affect the quality of 3D reconstructions derived from medical images. Thinner slices result in higher quality models preserving critical anatomical details but can cause unnecessary wear on...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Sacral Neuro Stimulation (SNS) is an FDA approved treatment for urgency/frequency, urge incontinence, urinary retention, and fecal incontinence. Successful outcome is predicated on accurate location of the lead based on anatomy and physiologic response. Adjacent foramina S2, S3, and S4 may have sufficient locational over...

Introduction: Facial approximation (FA) is used when other methods of forensic identification, such as DNA, are not available or applicable. FA, in the clay methods and virtual methods, all rely on populational soft tissue (ST) depths from limited data sets. Much of the known facial indices originate from cadaver ST studies. This study, using three...

This study is aimed to define the geometry and location of the human S3 foramen, with respect to bony landmarks visible on ultrasound. Computed tomographic (CT) image data from an institutional review board-approved database of de-identified pelvic CT images were analyzed. Points along the S3 foramina and bony sacrum were tagged, and their location...

Objective: To define the geometry and location of the human S3 foramen, with respect to bony landmarks visible on ultrasound. Methods: CT image data from an IRB-approved database of de-identified pelvic CT images was analyzed. Points along the S3 foramina and bony sacrum were tagged, and their locations saved. The saved points were mathematically...

Hippocampal injury in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological process is region-specific and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based measures of localized hippocampus (HP) atrophy are known to detect region-specific changes associated with clinical AD, but it is unclear whether these measures provide information that is independent of that already...

Proper documentation of physical evidence at both crimes scenes and postmortem examination is crucial for downstream analysis, interpretation, and presentation in court. Ephemeral or transient evidence poses particular challenges to investigators, as its very nature renders it difficult or impossible to seize and maintain in its original physical s...

Despite numerous papers relating to the prediction of nose projection for the purposes of facial approximation, there is little guidance for nose tip shape that has been evaluated on a known data set. This study presents a novel, simple technique for validation of the reconstructed nose tip shape based on methods used in actual approximation practi...

Examination of the adult os coxae and sacrum is one of the most common methods of sex estimation from bone. Medical imaging, such as computed tomography (CT), provides the opportunity for three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the skeleton from clinical scans of known individuals in situ. In this study, a randomly selected subset of abdominopelvic CT-de...

Establishing a biological profile comprised of age, sex, stature, ancestry as well as the documentation of any pathology that may have lead to the cause of death or aid in person identification is fundamental to biological anthropology. Anthropologists traditionally have relied on linear metric data and the visual analysis of non-metric traits of a...

Knowledge of the anatomy and biomechanics of the hip is essential to understand proper hip function. Finite element analysis has been increasingly applied to the biological and medical sciences. In order for an anatomical model to successfully run in FE analysis, the 3D model’s complex geometry often must be simplified. This simplification results...

Anthropology is the "study of man" and encompasses a diverse range of topics, including socio-cultural studies, linguistics, archaeology, and physical anthropology. Physical anthropology, or "biological" anthropology, the study of humans both living and deceased, can be further subcategorized into osteology, primatology, human evolution, and forens...

Anthropology is the "study of man" and encompasses a diverse range of topics, including socio-cultural studies, linguistics, archaeology, and physical anthropology. Physical anthropology, or "biological" anthropology, the study of humans both living and deceased, can be further subcategorized into osteology, primatology, human evolution, and forens...