Three-Dimensional Imaging of the Chest Wall: A Comparison Between Three Different Imaging Systems

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) imaging is increasingly utilized for anterior chest wall deformity assessment.
• 3D models aid in clinical decision-making, surgical planning, and analysis.
• Variations in 3D imaging systems necessitate analysis of intrasystem and intersystem differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the accuracy and reproducibility of three commercial 3D imaging systems.
• To compare the performance of 3dMD, EinScan Pro 2X Plus, and Artec Leo for anterior chest wall imaging.

Main Methods:

• Acquired 3D images of the anterior chest wall from 15 healthy volunteers twice per device.
• Assessed reproducibility by comparing consecutive images.
• Calculated true accuracy by comparing 3D image measurements with calipered anthropometric data.
• Defined a clinically acceptable difference as a maximum of 1.00 mm.

Main Results:

• All devices showed statistically comparable reproducibility (P=0.21) with mean absolute differences ranging from 0.48 mm to 0.59 mm.
• The 3dMD and Artec Leo systems demonstrated true accuracy of 0.89 mm (SD: 0.66) and 0.81 mm (SD: 0.71), respectively.
• The EinScan Pro 2X Plus showed a true accuracy of 1.27 mm (SD: 0.94), which was not statistically different (P=0.085) but exceeded the clinical acceptability threshold.

Conclusions:

• The 3dMD and Artec Leo systems are suitable for accurate and reproducible 3D imaging of the anterior chest wall.
• The EinScan Pro 2X Plus system is reproducible but lacks the clinical accuracy required for anterior chest wall imaging.
• These findings are critical for selecting appropriate 3D imaging technology in clinical practice.