Résumé
In this thesis, we propose an innovative combinatorial method based on oriented matroids for the quantitative study of the shape of 3D anatomical structures. We rely on landmarks which were previously defined by experts on the studied anatomical structure. The novelty of this method results from the use of oriented matroids. These mathematical tools allow us to encode the relativeposition of landmarks in a purely combinatorial way, that is without using concepts of angles or distances, by associating a sign (0, + or -) for each subset of (dÅ1) landmarks where d is the dimension of space (in our case 2 or 3). In the first part, we assume that there exist constraints of orders on each coordinate axis for the landmarks. We obtain a characterization (in dimension 2 and 3) of the subsets of landmarks of which the associated sign is constant, regardless of the values of the coordinates satisfying the constraints of order. In a second part, we try to classify a set of 3D models, encoding in advance by these lists of signs. We first analyze how to apply classic clusterin algorithms, and then describe how to characterize the classes directly, using signs associated with some subsets of landmarks. In the third part, we explain the algorithms and the implementation of this new morphometry method in order to apply it to real data. In the last part, we apply the method to three databases each consisting of several dozens of points defined on several dozens to several hundreds of cranial structures for applications in comparative anatomy, in orthodontics and on clinical cases of children with craniofacial deformities.