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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
The Use of Thermal Infra-Red Imaging to Detect Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Published on: January 22, 2012
Diagnostic Performance of Infrared Thermography, Quantitative Sudomotor Axonal Reflex Testing, and 3-Phase Bone
Chan Noh1,2, Jiyong Lee1,2, Hye Young Choi1
1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chungnam National University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
Purpose:
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) diagnosis poses challenges due to the absence of an objective and definitive test. Although laboratory tests such as infrared thermography, quantitative sudomotor axonal reflex testing (QSART), and 3-phase bone scintigraphy have been considered diagnostic aids, their use remains controversial. This retrospective study aimed to elucidate the diagnostic validity and potential value of these modalities for the diagnosis of CRPS.
Patients And Methods:
The Budapest criteria were used to diagnose CRPS, and infrared thermography, QSART, and 3-phase bone scintigraphy were performed as ancillary tests. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and measurement of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios.
Results:
Of the 41 patients assessed, 26 (63.4%) were diagnosed with CRPS based on these criteria. Among the three tests, only infrared thermography demonstrated significant diagnostic performance (area under the ROC curve, 0.718; 95% confidence interval, 0.569-0.866; p = 0.003). Infrared thermography revealed a positive and negative likelihood ratio of 2.308 and 0.346, respectively, indicating clinically informative results. The three positive results exhibited the highest specificity (0.933) and positive predictive value (0.917).
Conclusion:
Among the three laboratory tests for CRPS, infrared thermography was the most useful. QSART and 3-phase bone scintigraphy did not show a significant diagnostic performance; however, combining the results of all three tests may provide additional diagnostic confidence in certain cases.
