Automatic software-based 3D-angular measurement for Weight-Bearing CT (WBCT) provides different angles than...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Radiology
• Medical Imaging Technology
• Biomechanical Analysis

Background:

• Weight-Bearing CT (WBCT) is crucial for assessing foot and ankle pathologies.
• Accurate angular measurements are vital for diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Manual measurement by hand (MBH) is time-consuming and subject to variability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of automatic software-based angular measurement (AM) with manual measurement by hand (MBH).
• To evaluate the time efficiency of AM versus MBH in Weight-Bearing CT (WBCT) analysis.
• To assess the potential of AM as a validated measurement tool in foot and ankle imaging.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study included 500 bilateral WBCT scans.
• Five key foot and ankle angles were measured using both MBH and AM (Autometrics).
• Comparison of angle values and investigator time using t-tests.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in measured angles between MBH and AM were observed for most angles (p < 0.001), except calcaneal pitch (p = 0.05).
• AM drastically reduced measurement time, averaging 1 second per angle compared to 44.5 seconds for MBH (p < 0.001).
• Pathologies included osteoarthritis, Haglund deformity, forefoot deformity, Hallux rigidus, flatfoot, cavus foot, and other osteoarthritis.

Conclusions:

• Current AM software provides different angle values than MBH and is not yet a validated measurement method.
• AM offers a substantial time saving of 97% per angle compared to MBH.
• AM shows potential for rapid analysis, but reliability and validity need further investigation in future studies.