Smartphone Measurement Application for Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: A...

Accurate vertebral-level localization before percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) commonly requires fluoroscopic confirmation, and repeated imaging may prolong the localization workflow. This single-center randomized controlled trial evaluated a smartphone measurement application for transmitting distance data obtained from imaging to the patient's back to assess its clinical efficacy. A smartphone with a rear-facing LiDAR sensor was used as the measurement instrument. The LiDAR's principal function is to acquire high-precision three-dimensional point-cloud data of terrain, object surfaces, and the surrounding environment, thereby enabling accurate determination of object outlines and structures, measurement of distances, and detection of dynamic changes in ground objects. From October 2025 to March 2026, 43 patients with acute thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were allocated using a random-number table to smartphone measurement application (n = 21) or conventional anatomical localization with C-arm verification (n = 22). Outcomes included localization time (T0), the number of fluoroscopic images acquired during T0, initial localization accuracy, additional time required to correct a localization deviation (T1), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores before surgery and at 3 months. Key findings: Compared with conventional localization, the smartphone measurement application resulted in a shorter T0, fewer fluoroscopic images during T0, and a shorter T1 (all P < 0.05). Initial localization accuracy was numerically higher in the smartphone measurement application group, but the between-group difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). VAS and ODI scores improved within both groups, with no significant between-group differences at 3 months (P > 0.05). The smartphone measurement application for smartphone measurement application improved localization efficiency without a detectable difference in initial accuracy or short-term clinical outcomes. Because radiation dose was not directly quantified, fewer fluoroscopic images should not be interpreted as proof of a proportional dose reduction.