Identification of spinal disorders through three-dimensional reconstruction of the human dorsum

Abstract

The most common human health issue among workers is pain in the dorsum region. This can be attributed to the occupational hazard inherent to certain activities that require great physical effort or incorrect posture. These workers may end up spending their entire working hours, after the aggressive behaviour to their spine, developing diseases and thus the pain in the dorsum that is the posterior area of the human body. In addition, most people do not focus on preventive behaviour, such as correct posture far from work that can cause spinal disorders over time, compromising the health of the spine. On the other hand, health professionals usually do not use technological tools to aid the postural analysis, performing only a subjective visual observation. Therefore, the identification of spinal disorders varies based on the degree of knowledge of each professional, yielding in misjudgement. With the advancement of technology, it was possible to develop an accessible system capable of mapping a 3D profile of the human dorsum, comparable to high-cost systems available on the market. This work aimed to validate a methodology of 3D reconstruction of human dorsa regarding the posture. The validation, approved by Ethical Committee, digitized 54 volunteers used a mathematical model based on geometrical optics (MMGeO). The digital surfaces were analysed by an expert who made the postural evaluation using the traditional Symmetrograph. There wasn’t statistical difference between the methods when the disorder was clear, but MMGeO could identify small asymmetries while the traditional method fail to detect.