Methods and systems for identifying anatomical landmarks in image data

A method for locating anatomical landmarks in image data, comprising:

• receiving, at a processor, image data representative of a patient's joint, wherein the image data comprises images slices taken in parallel image planes selected from one of sagittal planes, coronal planes, or axial planes of the patient;
• identifying a first point and a second point along a length of a ligament represented in at least one of the image slices;
• identifying, with the processor, one of a line or a curve that connects the first point and the second point;
• identifying, with the processor, a set of planes comprising (i) an oblique plane intersecting and normal to the line or the curve and (ii) at least one other plane parallel to the oblique plane, wherein the oblique plane is oblique to the parallel image planes;
• generating, with the processor and based on the image data, a set of reformatted images sampled along the set of planes oblique to the parallel image planes;
• tracing a feature of the ligament within the set of reformatted images oblique to the parallel image planes;
• and
• generating, with the processor, a 3-D marking representing the traced feature on a 3-D model.