Real-scale 3D models of the scoliotic spine from biplanar radiography without calibration objects

This paper presents a new method for modelling the spines of subjects and making accurate 3D measurements using standard radiologic systems without requiring calibration objects. The method makes use of the focal distance and statistical models for estimating the geometrical parameters of the system. A dataset of 32 subjects was used to assess this method. The results show small errors for the main clinical indices, such as an RMS error of 0.49 degrees for the Cobb angle, 0.50 degrees for kyphosis, 0.38 degrees for lordosis, and 2.62 mm for the spinal length. This method is the first to achieve this level of accuracy without requiring the use of calibration objects when acquiring radiographs. We conclude that the proposed method allows for the evaluation of scoliosis with a much simpler setup than currently available methods. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.