Three-dimensional surface capture from the back anatomy to quantify three-dimensional vertebral column curvatures without using anatomical markers

Although X-ray imaging is a precise method for measuring vertebral curvature, the radiation dose that patient receives may be detrimental for the body. The purpose of this study is to introduce a non-invasive method based on surface data acquisition to determine vertebral curvatures in three-dimensional space. In this method, infrared depth-sensing cameras are used to generate a 3D point cloud from the patient's back surface. To analyze the topographic map obtained from the back surface, first of all, the anatomical landmarks are determined. These landmarks are necessary for transferring the point cloud data into the frontal plane and make the results free of small setup errors of the sensor. Then, the central position of each vertebra is estimated and the vertebral curvatures are calculated by Cobb's angle method. A review of similar past studies and our case study results demonstrate that estimation of vertebral curvatures from back topographic map is possible. Accordingly, can be said, this non-invasive, inexpensive and portable method with acceptable results can be used in clinics and orthopedic centers for monitoring and screening of scoliosis patients.