Comparison of Glenoid Dimensions Between 3D Computed Tomography and 3D Printing

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Biomedical engineering
• Radiology

Background:

• Glenoid dimensions are crucial for assessing shoulder instability and bone loss.
• In vivo imaging methods like CT and MRI provide glenoid data.
• Three-dimensional (3D) printing of glenoid models from imaging data is feasible for complex skeletal analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of glenoid dimension measurements between 3D CT reconstructed models and 3D printed models.
• To evaluate the reliability of measurements derived from 3D printed glenoid models.

Main Methods:

• CT scans from 62 male adults were used to create 3D reconstructed and 3D printed glenoid models.
• Maximum glenoid height and width were measured on both model types.
• Intra- and inter-rater reliability was assessed through repeated measurements.

Main Results:

• Excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability was observed for measurements.
• Strong correlations (0.91 for height, 0.89 for width) were found between 3D printed and reconstructed models.
• No significant statistical differences in height and width measurements were detected between the two model types.

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional (3D) printed glenoid models demonstrate high accuracy in measuring glenoid dimensions.
• These 3D printed models are a reliable tool for evaluating glenoid width and height.
• 3D printed models offer comparable accuracy to 3D reconstructed models derived from CT data for clinical assessment.