title: Variability in three-dimensional measurements of back contour with raster stereography in normal subjects.
abstract: Forty normal children with a mean age of 9.1 years were investigated by using a Quantec Spinal Image System (QSIS). The QSIS uses computerized raster stereography technology to acquire three-dimensional measurements of back contour. Within a 95-percentile confidence interval (a) coronal-plane QSIS angles ranged from 0.05 to 2.36 degrees; (b) transverse-plane QSIS angles ranged from 0.03 to 1.96 degrees; and (c) sagittal-plane QSIS angles ranged from 36.8 to 44.8 degrees. Trunk-alignment deviation ranged from 3.51 to 7.45 mm within a 95-percentile confidence interval. An intraobserver standard deviation of +/-4.2 degrees was noted across all angular metrics. Normal ranges of QSIS-determined values for a population of 40 children without clinical evidence of pathology are reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Thometz
authors.forename: X C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D001415:Back / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002648:Child; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D012016:Reference Values