Reliability of 3D reconstruction of the spine of mild scoliotic patients.
METHODS
A reliability study was conducted in quantitative 3-dimensional (3D) measurements for mild scoliosis.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the intrarater and interrater reliability of a computer tool used for 3D reconstruction of the spine.


BACKGROUND
No reliability study of spinal in vivo 3D medical imaging measurements has been performed in the literature.


METHODS
This study included 30 patients (mean age 13 years) with mild idiopathic scoliosis. Spinal 3D reconstruction was performed using a new technique called semiautomatic 3D reconstruction, which requires only the location of the corners of each vertebral body on 2 orthogonal views. Three raters performed the 3D reconstruction procedure on the 30 pairs of radiographs in random order. One of the raters repeated the procedure for the 30 patients 15 days later. Inter-reliability and intra-reliability were estimated for different parameters: thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, Cobb's angle, pelvic morphologic and positional parameters, and axial rotation.


RESULTS
Intraclass correlation coefficient showed good or very good agreement for most of the measurements. The 95% prediction limits are approximately 4 degrees for the measurements of spinal curves, 2 degrees for pelvic parameters, and axial vertebral rotation.


CONCLUSIONS
The reliability of 3D reconstruction of the spine is acceptable, and this technique can be used for clinical studies.
Gille
Olivier
O
University Hospital of Bordeaux, Spinal Unit, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bordeaux, France. olivier.gille@chu-bordeaux.fr
Champain
Nicolas
N
Benchikh-El-Fegoun
Abdelkrim
A
Vital
Jean-Marc
JM
Skalli
Wafa
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008141:Lordosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography / Q000295:instrumentation; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012984:Software; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology