title: Delineation of vertebral area on the coronal plane using three-dimensional ultrasonography advanced volume contrast imaging (VCI) Omni view: intrarater reliability and agreement using standard mouse, high definition mouse, and pen-tablet.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the fetal lumbosacral spine by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography using volume contrast imaging (VCI) omni view method and compare reproducibility and agreement between three different measurement techniques: standard mouse, high definition mouse and pen-tablet.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative and prospective study with 40 pregnant women between 20 and 34 + 6 weeks was realized. 3D volume datasets of the fetal spine were acquired using a convex transabdominal transducer. Starting scan plane was the coronal section of fetal lumbosacral spine by VCI-C function. Omni view manual trace was selected and a parallel plane of fetal spine was drawn including interest region. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for reproducibility analysis. The relative difference between three used techniques was compared by chi-square test and Fischer test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pen-tablet showed better reliability (ICC=0.987). In the relative proportion of differences, this was significantly higher for the pen-tablet (82.14%; p<0.01). In paired comparison, the relative difference was significantly greater for the pen-tablet (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pen-tablet showed to be the most reproductive and concordant method in the measurement of body vertebral area of fetal lumbosacral spine by 3D ultrasonography using the VCI.
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. araujojred@terra.com.br
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Araujo Júnior
authors: Luis Henrique
authors: LH
authors: Martinez
authors: Christiane
authors: C
authors: Simioni
authors: Wellington P
authors: WP
authors: Martins
authors: Luciano M
authors: LM
authors: Nardozza
authors: Antonio F
authors: AF
authors: Moron
mesh_terms: D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011247:Pregnancy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface