System and method for isolating anatomical features in computerized tomography data

A system for generating a three-dimensional point cloud model of a bony anatomical structure, the system comprising:

• a computer accessible memory operational to store a three-dimensional array of data elements describing anatomical features of a subject, each of the data elements having associated therewith positional data and a separate parameter value;
• and
• a processor, operatively coupled to the computer accessible memory, operational to identify data elements in the three-dimensional array of which the associated parameter values satisfy a predefined range associated with the bony anatomical structure,
• wherein the processor is further operational to generate, from the positional data associated with the identified data elements, a visually displayable three-dimensional point cloud model of the bony anatomical structure having a first three-dimensional point cloud model which illustrates an exterior cortical bone surface of the bony anatomical structure and a second three-dimensional point cloud model which illustrates a density of cancellous bone beneath the exterior cortical bone surface of the bony anatomical structure, both the first and second point cloud models being simultaneously displayable within the three-dimensional point cloud model of the bony anatomical structure such that the exterior cortical bone surface and the density of the cancellous bone beneath the exterior cortical bone surface are simultaneously visually discernable.