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Four-Dimensional CT Analysis Using Sequential 3D-3D Registration
Published on: November 23, 2019
Reliability of clinically relevant 3D foot bone angles from quantitative computed tomography
David J Gutekunst1, Lu Liu, Tao Ju
1Applied Kinesiology Laboratory, Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St, Louis, MO 63108, USA. gutekunst.david@mayo.edu.
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research
|September 19, 2013
Summary
Accurate 3D foot deformity assessment is crucial for surgical treatment. New landmark-based and automated methods using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) show high reliability for measuring bone angles, improving clinical relevance.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedics and Clinical Biomechanics
- Medical Imaging
- Computational Anatomy
Background:
- Accurate assessment of multi-planar foot deformities is essential for surgical treatment and clinical management.
- Standard radiographs have limitations in quantifying complex foot and ankle deformities.
- Existing 3D imaging methods using inertial axes lack clinical relevance for established bone angles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and assess 3D bone-to-bone orientation measurement precision using landmark-based methods on quantitative computed tomography (QCT) bone surface meshes.
- To evaluate the measurement precision for expert raters and a template-based automated method.
- To improve the clinical relevance of 3D bone angles in foot deformity assessment.
Main Methods:
- Two expert raters placed anatomic landmarks on calcaneus, talus, cuboid, and navicular surfaces across twenty feet over two repetitions.
- An automated, template-based method was used to record landmarks.
- Three-dimensional (3D) bone axes were computed, and Cardan sequences generated multi-planar bone-to-bone angles. Angular reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and root mean square standard deviation (RMS-SD).
Main Results:
- High intra- and inter-rater ICCs (generally ≥ 0.80) indicated good reliability for landmark-based methods.
- The automated method demonstrated high agreement with expert raters, comparable to individual rater precision.
- Intra-rater precision ranged from 1.4 to 6.1°, comparing favorably to uni-planar radiographic precision.
Conclusions:
- Landmark-based 3D methods exhibit adequate test-retest reliability for assessing foot deformities.
- The automated, atlas-based method is a valid and time-saving technique for foot deformity assessment, showing strong agreement with expert raters.
- These 3D multi-planar quantification techniques hold potential for improved diagnosis of foot and ankle pathologies.
