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Published on: June 3, 2020
VALIDATION OF AN OPTICAL METHOD FOR MEASURING THE GAP BETWEEN SUTURED TENDON STUMPS
Luiz Sorrenti1, Elcio Koodiro Yoshida1, Antonio Isidoro de Sousa1
1Universidade de Sao Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital das Clinicas, (HC-FMUSP), Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia, Hand Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery Group, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objective:
This study aims to investigate the accuracy and precision of an optical measurement method based on backlight video analysis for measuring gap distances between tendon stumps in a rigid tendon model.
Methods:
A rigid 3D-printed tendon model was sutured and subjected to traction using a universal mechanical testing machine. The gap between stumps was filmed in frontal and lateral planes with backlight illumination and a simple mirror system. A custom software program calculated gap distances from the recorded videos and the optical measurements were compared with mechanical testing machine measurements to assess precision and accuracy.
Results:
The mean difference (bias) in the frontal plane was -0.01 mm (SD: 0.01 mm) and in the lateral plane was 0.04 mm (SD: 0.03 mm). Bland-Altman analysis showed limits of agreement (LoA) of 0.04 mm in the frontal plane and 0.06 mm in the lateral plane. Measurements between planes showed a very strong correlation with a Spearman's rho correlation test of 1.000 (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
The optical method showed errors on the order of hundredths of a millimeter and proved to be both precise and accurate, validating a new method for gap measurement in biomechanical tendon studies. Level of Evidence IV; Experimental Validation Study.
