The effectiveness of diagnostic procedures of spinal diseases. Surface analysis of the back

Abstract

X-ray study to verify clinical findings in patients with scoliosis and other deformities of the spine is associated with considerable radiation exposure as well as a variety of other problems, particularly as regards assessing disease progression. Hence, in the course of the past few years a number of alternative, supplementary spinal diagnostic procedures have been developed which are based on analysis of the surface of the back: Moiré topography, photogrammetry/raster stereometry, opTRImetric system, ISIS system, video raster stereometry (formetrics), ultrasound-guided spine analysis (Zebris) and ultrasound topometry. To assess the effectiveness of screening, diagnosis, and progression of scoliosis the formetric system of video raster stereometry and the Zebris system for ultrasound-guided spine analysis were tested. It was shown that the results of screening tests, diagnostic study, and progression evaluation of scoliosis and sagittal deformities were exact enough using these systems. Furthermore, the ultrasound-guided Zebris system offers the option of dynamic analysis of spinal movement. Limitations in measurement precision were found in obese patients, asymmetric muscle surfaces, and in patients who had undergone surgery, although in the latter group progression could be reliably monitored if the radiological angle was known. We can assume that surface analysis procedures will gain in importance clinically and in practice.

Spinal posture and pelvic position in three hundred forty-five elementary school children: a rasterstereographic pilot study

“…17 Compared to other methods, rasterstereography has several advantages, especially for back screenings and follow-up studies. 6 Due to the projection of visible light, subjects are not exposed to any harmful radiation. Furthermore, the shape of the back can be visualized three-dimensionally and the calculated parameters represent three-dimensional-space-coordinates.…”

“…Furthermore, the shape of the back can be visualized three-dimensionally and the calculated parameters represent three-dimensional-space-coordinates. 6 …”

“…Recent video based measuring devices produce more reliable and precise results, but most of them are rather time consuming or can only be operated by experts. 6 Other automatic systems, e.g. 3D ultrasonic devices, need reflective markers to detect anatomical structures.…”

Evaluation of a Novel Spine and Surface Topography System for Dynamic Spinal Curvature Analysis during Gait

“…The oldest optical technique to analyze the spine is called the Moiré topography, which uses interference patterns generated by a light source and a line grid on the back of the patient [5], [6]. Although, the sensitivity of this technique is good (74%), its false-negative values between 17–25% are not acceptable [7], [8]. Further research led to the invention of ultrasound or optical surface scanners, such as the Zebris, Quantec or Inspeck system, which allow a radiation-free and three-dimensional analysis of the back surface [9], [10], [11].…”

“…However, these systems often require a trained operator because of the rather complicated setup of the components and placement of multiple surface markers on the back. In addition these systems do not allow a reconstruction of the underlying spine, which limits the use of these devices in many cases to experimental or research purposes [7].…”