Objective Longitudinal Monitoring of Burn Wound Area Using 3D Surface Scanning: A Pilot Study

Burn assessment traditionally relies on visual inspection and 2D estimation, which introduces substantial variability in determining wound size and healing progression. Three-dimensional (3D) surface scanning offers a more objective alternative, yet the clinical utility of area-based metrics obtained from 3D surface data remains insufficiently defined. This pilot study aimed to evaluate structured-light 3D scanning for objective longitudinal quantification of the burn wound surface area and a description of area-based healing dynamics derived from repeated measurements.

Eighteen patients with 43 acute thermal burns underwent serial structured-light scanning, followed by manual segmentation of wound regions and the calculation of absolute and percentage area reduction as well as TBSA-normalized metrics. Longitudinal monitoring was performed by comparing sequential 3D surface models acquired at defined clinical follow-ups, enabling the calculation of absolute area change (ΔA), percentage reduction, daily healing rate, and ΔTBSA%.

Baseline wound areas ranged from 7.27 to 2137.98 cm². Percentage area reduction ranged from 5.25% to 92.30%. The overall reduction in burn burden (ΔTBSA) ranged from 0.07% to 12.94%. Large wounds tended to show rapid absolute area reduction (>100-300 cm²/day) during early follow-up, while small superficial burns frequently achieved >80% reduction within 10-15 days.

These findings suggest that 3D surface scanning may support the objective longitudinal assessment of burn wound healing. This pilot provides a basis for future studies evaluating additional topographic parameters and broader clinical applications.