[Rapid Detection of Scoliosis Based on Digital Image Processing]

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Scoliosis, a spinal deformity, requires timely detection for effective management.
• Traditional scoliosis screening methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and non-destructive system for general scoliosis surveys.
• To enable accurate measurement of the Cobb angle for scoliosis assessment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized digital image processing of upright human back images.
• Extracted spinal feature points to generate a spine contour curve.
• Calculated the Cobb angle from the contour curve to determine scoliosis degree.

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained the spine outline curve and calculated the Cobb angle.
• Demonstrated quick, effective, and accurate scoliosis detection.

Conclusions:

• Digital image processing offers a rapid, non-destructive alternative to traditional scoliosis detection.
• This method significantly saves manpower and resources, crucial for national adolescent scoliosis surveys.