The Effect of Low-Dose CT Protocols on Shoulder Model-Based Tracking accuracy Using Biplane Videoradiography

Model-based tracking is being increasingly used to quantify shoulder kinematics and typically employs computed tomography (CT) to create the 3D bone volumes, which adds to the total radiation exposure. Lower-dose CT protocols may be possible given the contrast between bone and the surrounding soft tissues. The purpose of this study was to describe the dose-accuracy tradeoff between low-dose CT scans and the kinematic tracking accuracy of the humerus, scapula, and clavicle when tracked using an intensity-based registration algorithm.

Three fresh-frozen cadavers consisting of the torso and bilateral shoulders were tested. The CT protocols investigated included a full-dose protocol and 4 experimental low-dose protocols that modulated x-ray tube current and peak voltage. Bead-based tracking (i.e., radiostereometric analysis) served as the reference standard to which model-based tracking results were compared. Accuracy was described in terms of both segmental (humerus, scapula, and clavicle) and joint (glenohumeral, acromioclavicular) kinematics using root-mean-square (RMSE), bias, precision, and worst-case errors.

The low-dose CT scans resulted in an average dose reduction of 70.6-92.8%. RMSEs tended to increase as CT dose decreased with average glenohumeral errors increasing from 0.5° and 0.6 mm to 0.6° and 0.6 mm between the highest and lowest-dose protocols, and average acromioclavicular errors increasing from 0.6° and 0.8 mm to 0.7° and 0.9 mm. However, the difference in joint kinematic errors between the highest and lowest-dose CT scanning protocols was generally small (≤0.3°, ≤ 0.1 mm).

It is possible to substantially reduce the CT dose associated with shoulder motion analysis using biplane videoradiography without significantly impacting data fidelity.