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Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness
Published on: March 18, 2022
Multirater agreement on arthroscopic image quality.
G J M Tuijthof1, M Abbink, I N Sierevelt
1Orthopaedic Surgery Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Academic Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands. g.j.tuijthof@amc.uva.nl
Summary
Quantifying visual disturbances in arthroscopy is key. Bleeding and air bubbles significantly impair the view, while turbidity and fibrous tissue are more tolerated, informing image quality assessments.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Medical Imaging
- Surgical Visualization
Background:
- Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery, often suffers from reduced visibility due to various disturbances.
- Quantifying arthroscopic image quality is crucial for optimizing surgical views and improving procedural outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine acceptable percentage thresholds for common visual disturbances during arthroscopy.
- To establish objective criteria for arthroscopic image quality based on disturbance coverage.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two video clips of five disturbances (bleeding, air bubbles, turbidity, loose fibrous tissue, attached fibrous tissue) were presented to 39 orthopaedic surgeons.
- Surgeons judged the acceptability of the view and answered questions regarding irrigation and disturbance tolerance.
Main Results:
- Clear thresholds for acceptability were found for bleeding (5% acceptable, 25% unacceptable) and air bubbles (10% acceptable, 20% unacceptable).
- Turbidity and attached fibrous tissue were tolerated up to 50% by half of the surgeons, with a gradual transition for loose fibrous tissue.
- Surgeons using mechanical pumps showed lower tolerance for synovial fluid (turbidity). Bleeding was identified as the most intolerable disturbance.
Conclusions:
- Established quantitative metrics for visual disturbances in arthroscopy, differentiating between tolerable and intolerable levels.
- Findings provide a basis for developing automated systems for detecting and quantifying visual disturbances to enhance arthroscopic surgery.
- Image quality assessment in arthroscopy can be standardized using these disturbance thresholds.
