MR method and apparatus for determining coronal and sagittal image planes from an image data set of a shoulder joint

A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonance scanner adapted to interact with a subject to acquire magnetic resonance data;
• a computer connected to said magnetic resonance scanner to control acquisition of said magnetic data by said magnetic resonance scanner;
• a display connected to said computer for displaying a transversal tomographic image of a shoulder joint, the displayed image of the shoulder joint arising from an underlying image data set;
• said computer electronically analyzing the underlying image data set of the displayed shoulder joint using a first analysis algorithm to identify, in said shoulder joint, the shoulder blade and to identify two points on the shoulder blade defining the coronal plane;
• said computer also analyzing said underlying data set of said shoulder joint using a second analysis algorithm to identify the shoulder blade and to identify a half-moon shaped arc of the joint connection between the head of the upper extremity of the humerus and the shoulder blade, and to identify two points on said arc at said joint connection that define the sagittal plane;
• and
• said computer controlling acquisition tomographic data from, or representation in a further display, at least one of a coronal slice image of said shoulder joint and a sagittal slice image of said shoulder joint, dependent on at least one of the identified coronal plane and the identified sagittal plane.