[Anthropometric 3D-body scanning in idiopathic scoliosis]

A new, non-invasive method of 3D-measurement is presented which allows the spatial recording of the entire body surface in scoliotic deformities. The application of the system is examined to raise automatically anthropometric data of patients with scoliosis.

32 patients with idiopathic scoliosis were examined (average age 15.3 years, 25 girls and 7 boys, Cobb angles between 11 and 72 degrees). The whole body recording is carried out with a 3D laser scanner. During the measuring process the patient is standing in a frame. Within the measuring time of 15 seconds the body surface is registered by lasers and four cameras. The measured values are converted to a digital 3D model. The resolution is up to 1 mm. On the digital 3D model an automatic calculation of defined anthropometric parameters were carried out. Each patient was measured twice.

In all patients a virtual 3D model with a high surface accuracy was obtained. Was the model the typical body asymmetries in scoliotic deformities were visible. The automatic calculation shows a mean deviation of the second measurements between 0.23 and 0.71 cm. The reproducibility depended on the type of the measured parameters.

The laser scanning system allows a rapid, touchless and accurate 3D measurement of the whole body in scoliotic deformities. To determine anthropometric parameters the reproducibility of the automatic calculation is sufficient in most parameters.