# Request for evidence supporting the use of TotalSegmentator's tissue types task for body composition research

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/request-for-evidence-supporting-the-use-of-totalsegmentators-tissue-types-task-for-body-composition-research/43791>\
**Category:** Support\
**Created:** [July 21, 2025, 8:14am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/request-for-evidence-supporting-the-use-of-totalsegmentators-tissue-types-task-for-body-composition-research/43791 "2025-07-21T08:14:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Seok\_Jin\_Hong](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/seok_jin_hong/32/80633_2.png) [@Seok\_Jin\_Hong](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/Seok_Jin_Hong)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2025, 8:14am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/request-for-evidence-supporting-the-use-of-totalsegmentators-tissue-types-task-for-body-composition-research/43791/1 "2025-07-21T08:14:05Z")

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I’m planning to write a research paper that uses the _tissue types_ task of the **TotalSegmentator** module in 3D Slicer to perform **automated body composition segmentation** , particularly focusing on structures such as visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and skeletal muscle.

Before proceeding further, I’d like to know whether there is **sufficient peer-reviewed evidence** supporting the **accuracy and reliability** of this function for research purposes. Specifically, I’m looking for studies or validation papers that have used this feature (or a closely related method within TotalSegmentator) in **clinical or epidemiological body composition analysis**.

If anyone knows of any published articles, preprints, validation datasets, or even informal benchmarks that could support the scientific use of this segmentation approach, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share them.

Thank you in advance for your help!

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**Author:** ![muratmaga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/muratmaga/32/3622_2.png) [@muratmaga](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/muratmaga)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2025, 1:28am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/request-for-evidence-supporting-the-use-of-totalsegmentators-tissue-types-task-for-body-composition-research/43791/2 "2025-07-22T01:28:41Z")

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> [@Seok\_Jin\_Hong](#):
>
> there is **sufficient peer-reviewed evidence** supporting the **accuracy and reliability** of this function for research purposes

I don’t use TotalSegmentator in my research, so I don’t know if there are such studies. However, I would say that as a researcher **it is really your responsibility** to make sure that the tool fits your needs. Even if there are studies along those lines, they might have a far more different definition of accuracy and reliability. So citing them is not going to help you.

You can probably segment a few structures on your own, do the same the with total segmentator and decide for yourself using statistics…

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**Author:** ![CS1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/cs1/32/80852_2.png) [@CS1](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/CS1)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 1:07pm UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/request-for-evidence-supporting-the-use-of-totalsegmentators-tissue-types-task-for-body-composition-research/43791/3 "2025-08-19T13:07:29Z")

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Hello Seok\_Jin\_Hong, I’m also looking to write a paper using total segmentator and I’m kinda in the same boat facing the same issue … how are you going with your project now?