Non-Invasive Assessment of Back Surface Topography: Technologies, Techniques and Clinical Utility

Abstract

(1) Background: Frequent exposure to ionising radiation is often used to determine the diagnosis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a lateral curvature of the spine in those aged between 10 and 18 years, and a treatment plan according to Cobb angle. This narrative review outlines the clinical utility of surface topography (ST), a radiation-free imaging modality. (2) Methods: Publicly available databases were searched to yield literature related to ST. Identified articles were classified based on the equipment used and in order of how it was developed, i.e., historical, recent developments, and state-of-the-art developments. (3) Conclusions: ST is a reliable cost-effective non-invasive technique that provides an alternative to radiation-based imaging to aid with the diagnosis and potential screening of AIS. Several scanning methods are available, which allows ST to be used in several clinical environments. Limitations of inter-reliability and differences of apparatus resulting in variations of data have been noted through this narrative review.

A Comparison of the Effects of Supervised versus Home Schroth Exercise Programs with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

“…Studies on different techniques developed to determine the treatment’s efficacy are still ongoing [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Although radiographic methods such as the EOSTM system have been developed to reduce adolescent groups’ ion exposure, the importance of topographic measurements—one of the methods developed for post-diagnosis follow-up—is increasing daily [ 36 , 50 ]. In the published literature, studies investigating the effectiveness of the Schroth exercise method indicate that treatment durations are not long enough, and studies with more comprehensive evaluations are called for [ 10 , 15 , 43 , 52 ].…”

“…Each back surface has an average of thirty thousand points (vertices). Therefore, the geometrical differences between the two surfaces can be calculated by the RMS of the distances between the points forming these surfaces [ 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”

“…Each back surface has an average of thirty thousand points (vertices). Therefore, the geometrical differences between the two surfaces can be calculated by the RMS of the distances between the points forming these surfaces [35][36][37]. The working scanning distance recommended by the scanner's manufacturer was from 0.4 to 1 m, and the three-dimensional accuracy was reported as up to 0.05 mm at a resolution of 0.1 mm [26].…”

“…Each back surface has an average of thirty thousand points (vertices). Therefore, the geometrical differences between the two surfaces can be calculated by the RMS of the distances between the points forming these surfaces [35][36][37]. In a previous study, the reliability of the surface topography method was shown for both intraobserver (r, P1: 0.96, P2: 0.99, P3: 0.93) and interobserver correlations (r, P: 0.84, P2: 0.97, P3: 0.96).…”

Reliability of a New Digital Tool for Photographic Analysis in Quantifying Body Asymmetry in Scoliosis

“…Several technologies based on surface topography (ST) are available to objectively measure body asymmetry, such as structured light, infrared, or laser scanning [34]. The information obtained is captured by cameras and then processed to create a 3D model of the torso [13].…”