Semi‑automatic ultrasound curve angle measurement for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
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AbstractPurpose: Using X-ray to evaluate adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) conditions is the clinical gold standard, with potential radiation hazards. 3D ultrasound has demonstrated its validity and reliability of estimating X-ray Cobb angle (XCA) using spinous process angle (SPA), which can be automatically measured. While angle measurement with ultrasound using spine transverse process-related landmarks (UCA) shows better agreed with XCA, its automatic measurement is challenging and not available yet. This research aimed to analyze and measure scoliotic angles through a novel semi-automatic UCA method. Methods: 100 AIS subjects (age: 15.0 ± 1.9 years, gender: 19 M and 81 F, Cobb: 25.5 ± 9.6°) underwent both 3D ultrasound and X-ray scanning on the same day. Scoliotic angles with XCA and UCA methods were measured manually; and transverse process-related features were identified/drawn for the semi-automatic UCA method. The semi-automatic method measured the spinal curvature with pairs of thoracic transverse processes and lumbar lumps in respective regions. Results: The new semi-automatic UCA method showed excellent correlations with manual XCA (R2 = 0.815: thoracic angles R2 = 0.857, lumbar angles R2 = 0.787); and excellent correlations with manual UCA (R2 = 0.866: thoracic angles R2 = 0.921, lumbar angles R2 = 0.780). The Bland–Altman plot also showed a good agreement against manual UCA/XCA. The MADs of semi-automatic UCA against XCA were less than 5°, which is clinically insignificant. Conclusion: The semi-automatic UCA method had demonstrated the possibilities of estimating manual XCA and UCA. Further advancement in image processing to detect the vertebral landmarks in ultrasound images could help building a fully automated measurement method.
Acceptance Date29/09/2021
All Author(s) ListDe Yang, Timothy Tin-Yan Lee, Kelly Ka-Lee Lai, Tsz-Ping Lam, Winnie Chiu-Wing Chu, René Marten Castelein, Jack Chun-Yiu Cheng, Yong-Ping Zheng
Journal nameSpine Deformity
Year2022
Month3
Volume Number10
Issue Number2
PublisherSpringer
Pages351 - 359
ISSN2212-134X
LanguagesEnglish-United Kingdom
KeywordsAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Last updated on 2024-20-08 at 00:28