Search Results (12)

Background: The surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is influenced by factors such as skeletal maturity, curve magnitude, progression, and spinal flexibility. The assessment of spinal flexibility is crucial for surgical planning; supine bending radiographs are commonly used but there is no consensus on the optimal technique. Fulcrum bending radiographs (FBRs) have shown better prediction of post-surgery correction compared to supine bending radiographs. New radiological techniques allow a significant reduction in radiation exposure. This study aims to compare spinal flexibility assessment and radiation exposure between FBRs and standing side-bending radiographs (SSRs) using biplanar stereoradiography. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five consecutive AIS patients scheduled for surgery were included in this prospective cohort study. Exclusion criteria were non-idiopathic etiology, age younger than 12 years, and older than 18 years. Pre-surgery FBRs and SSRs were performed, and the Cobb angles were measured. Flexibility and correction rates were calculated. Dose–area products (DAPs) were recorded. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Spearman correlation. Results: The mean pre-surgery Cobb angle of the thoracic curve was 66.3°. The FBR was superior to SSR for assessing flexibility for thoracic curves and provided a better prediction for post-surgery correction. There was no significant difference in lumbar curves between FBR and SSR. The mean DAP for SSRs was 0.81 Gy*cm² compared to 3.42 Gy*cm² for FBR, indicating a lower radiation exposure using SSRs. Conclusions: FBRs are superior for flexibility assessment of thoracic curves in AIS and offers a better prediction of post-surgery correction compared to SSRs. However, FBR is associated with a higher radiation exposure. Full article

Background: Patients with scoliosis often require multiple imaging modalities. The aim of this study was to find out whether primary diagnosis, including surgical planning, could be carried out entirely without computed tomography (CT) scans and whether follow-up could be replaced with alternative methods without the use of X-rays. In order to reduce the radiation exposure in the diagnosis and treatment of severe scoliosis, we expect to replace X-rays with radiation-free or less-intensive radiation examinations. This study protocol is interdisciplinary. Methods: A total of 50 male and female patients (children and adolescents, aged 7–18 years) treated for scoliosis will be analyzed. In addition to routine projection radiographs, preoperative CT, and/or X-ray stereoradiography (EOS) examinations, thin-slice 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences will be retrospectively reformatted during the preoperative MRI examination. A three-dimensional back scan (video-raster stereography) and an intraoral scan will also be obtained. The following questions should be answered at the end of the project: (1) Can MRI examination with additional thin-slice 3D reconstruction answer all relevant questions for preoperative planning instead of CT? (2) Are EOS or whole-spine X-ray examinations in combination with MRI data sufficient for the evaluation of the pedicles and spinal deformity? (3) Does the Cobb angle in the radiograph correlate with the calculations from the back scanner image and can follow-up checks be replaced? (4) Are there any correlations between dental anomalies and scoliosis? Conclusions: Until now, pediatric patients with scoliosis have been diagnosed, monitored, and treated with numerous independent specialist disciplines, such as pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and general practitioners with different radiological issues. The aim of this project is to reduce radiation and lower perioperative risks by creating a preoperative and follow-up-related standard protocol in close interdisciplinary and targeted cooperation between all the specialist disciplines involved. In line with the holistic examination approach, the associated accompanying diseases and developmental disorders such as dental and neuronal malformations will also be examined. On the one hand, CT-based questions could be replaced with the reconstruction of thin-slice MRI sequences. In addition, it may be possible to use the three-dimensional back scan as an intermediate diagnostic procedure instead of X-rays in the monitoring of severe scoliosis. Insofar as correlations or causalities between scoliosis and occlusal anomalies, early orthodontic intervention could positively benefit the duration of therapy at a later stage. Full article

Background and Objectives: Acute and chronic injuries are frequent in volleyball. Biomechanics of sport-specific tasks can influence the risk of injury, which is also related to specific court positions. We investigated posture at raster-stereography, balance, and dynamic tasks using inertial motion units to find differences between roles, which can be predictive of a higher risk of injury. Materials and Methods: We cross-sectionally evaluated amateur volleyball athletes. Participants were divided into roles as outside hitters, setters, middle blockers, and opposite hitters. We excluded the “libero” position from our analysis. Results: Sixteen players were included in the analysis. A statistically significant difference was found in left lower limb stiffness among the outside hitter and setter groups. Conclusions: Differences in stiffness might be related to the different training and the different abilities among the two groups. Raster-stereography is extending its indications and should be implemented for non-invasive postural analysis. The use of inertial motion units provides objective measurements of variables that could go unrecognized within a clinical evaluation; its use should be considered in injury preventive programs. Full article

This article begins with the assumption that the specificity of metaphors used to discuss narration and mediation matter for understanding them. For instance, arguing for a paradigm shift in literature concomitant with the visual revolution of Meiji, critic Maeda Ai saw Mori Ōgai’s famed early work of realism “Dancing Girl” (Maihime) as translating the effects of the panorama hall into literature. By the end of his career, Mori Ōgai’s narrator of Wild Geese (Gan) compares his own storytelling to stereoscopy. These two different visual medial affordances suggest two different techniques. However, I argue that it is in a third visual medium (one that draws on the marketing of panorama and the visual techniques of stereography) that we may find a metaphor suggesting a continuity between these two modes of realism, between Ōgai’s early career and his later opus, between Maeda’s medial understanding and Ōgai’s own. This third metaphor for understanding Ōgai’s narration implies his mode of narration is never flat, always polyphonous, and advertising one aesthetic on the surface while providing another within. In the end, this view suggests a modernist realism that understood and expressed its own limitations and was, therefore, all the more realistic. Full article

Due to the astonishing speed in technological progress for new heterogeneous experiences, the Mixed Reality continuum represents nowadays an invaluable tool for cultural heritage applications, and the possibility of seemingly natural interaction with virtual elements is paving the way for more immerse, ve and deeply enjoyable experiences, both in dedicated spaces, such as museums and exhibitions, and in public spaces via the latest mobile AR technologies. This paper illustrates the complete workflow followed for the design and implementation of an Augmented Reality application on a holographic table, along with critical latency-quality tradeoffs encountered when combining both high-fidelity surveys and latency-sensibility devices and experiences. A workaround is provided in order to mitigate the impact of low-importance models on the overall latency utilizing a software toolchain employing Google Maps/Earth web applications; each software comprises the toolchain Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) for a more adaptive workaround with a wider range of suitable applications. The application is then tested with the students of LaborA, which is the modeling laboratory of “Politecnico di Milano”. Full article

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between idiopathic asymmetry in infants and body posture in children at an early school age. The study included 45 girls aged nine. The Diers Formetric III 4D device was used to assess body posture, which allows photogrammetric registration of the back surface using the raster stereography process. For the purposes of the re-search project, the examination was performed via DiCAM using the “Average measurement” mode. Despite physiotherapy, these children had more postural defects later on compared to the control group due to asymmetry. They mainly concerned pelvic skewness, scoliosis angle, deviation from the vertical line and lateral deviation, as well as surface rotation. Positive correlations were observed between direction of asymmetry and pelvic skewness (r = 0.40), and between the location of asymmetry and the location of curvature (r = 0.39). Significant negative correlations were also found between the age of treatment initiation and trunk length (r = −0.42). There was also a negative correlation between the number of physiotherapeutic appointments and deviation from the vertical line, which means that along with an increase in the number of physiotherapeutic visits, the value of deviation from the vertical line decreased (p = −0.40). For scoliosis angle, the most important predictor was the direction of asymmetry (p = 0.05). For the location of the curvature, the most important predictor was the direction of asymmetry (p = 0.04), as well as the number of physiotherapeutic appointments (p = 0.04). Additionally, regression analysis allowed us to show that the number of physiotherapeutic visits (p = 0.03) was the most important predictor of curvature direction. The applied physiotherapy probably contributed to the occurrence of a smaller number of postural defects in these children at a later age. Physiotherapy as a specific and targeted form of physical activity among infants with idiopathic asymmetry should play a very important role in the prevention of body posture defects. Full article

(1) Background: Musculoskeletal disorders can be associated with advanced clinical stages of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of active stretching (AS) training on lower limb venous function and quality of life in patients affected by CVI. (2) Methods: A prospective two-armed pilot randomized controlled was conducted. Twenty (20) CVI patients were randomly assigned to an AS training or to a control group (C) who did not receive any exercise indication. At baseline and after three months all the participants were tested for leg volumetry (LV), air plethysmography (APG), and quality of life (QoL) measured by a disease specific validated questionnaire (VVSymQ), ankle range of motion (ROM), and postural deformities using an optoelectronic body posture machine. (3) Results: At the end of the training in the AS group a significant leg volume reduction was detected (from 2340 ± 239 mL to 2239 ± 237 mL (4.3%); p < 0.0001), whereas in the C group no significant volume changes were found. The ejection fraction rate (EF%) increased significantly from 49.3 ± 9.3 to 61.1 ± 14.5, p < 0.005. A moderate-strong linear correlation with EF% and ankle ROM variation was found (R² = 0.6790; p < 0.0034). Several postural outcomes such as pelvic tilt, pelvic torsion, and lordotic angle significantly improved in the AS group (p < 0.01, p < 0.04, p < 0.01 respectively). (4) Conclusion: The AS training impacts on the APG parameters related to the musculoskeletal pump efficiency, opening a further possibility in the management of CVI patients by means of an appropriate adapted physical exercise program. Full article

Background: Spine shape parameters, such as leg length and kyphotic or lordotic angle, are influenced by low back pain. There is also evidence that the thoracolumbar fascia plays a role in such pathologies. This study examined the immediate effects of a myofascial release (MFR) technique on the thoracolumbar fascia and of an osteopathic treatment (OMT) on postural parameters in patients with acute low back pain (aLBP). Methods: This study was a single-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Seventy-one subjects (43.8 ± 10.5 years) suffering from aLBP were randomly and blindedly assigned to three groups to be treated with MFR, OMT, or a placebo intervention. Spinal shape parameters (functional leg length discrepancy (fLLD), kyphotic angle, and lordotic angle) were measured before and after the intervention using video raster stereography. Results: Within the MFR group, fLLD reduced by 5.2 mm, p < 0.001 and kyphotic angle by 8.2 degrees, p < 0.001. Within the OMT group, fLLD reduced by 4.5 mm, p < 0.001, and kyphotic angle by 8.4°, p = 0.007. Conclusion: MFR and OMT have an influence on fLLD and the kyphotic angle in aLBP patients. The interventions could have a regulating effect on the impaired neuromotor control of the lumbar muscles. Full article

The current development trend of the operational activities indicates an increase in occupations which last for a few generations and whose primary position is the activity in the sitting position. This trend is directly connected with the technological progress and development of the society within Industry 4.0. However, the workplaces intended for sitting occupations that are designed according to the current standards are unsuitable from several perspectives. The long-term sitting activities at most actual workplaces cause an accumulation of the static load. For this reason, the article deals with dynamizing the activities in the sitting position. The presented research is based on utilizing the knowledge of the sitting posture dynamics and on the information acquired through diagnostics based on the Raster Stereography as an innovative method based on modelling a natural human spin. The article brings the first research results, which points out the fact that probably not all types of dynamic sitting that are nowadays preferred are suitable for long-term working. Full article

Background and objectives: Studies on the effects of an equine riding simulator (ERS) program on back pain, spinal alignment, and isokinetic moments in subjects with chronic low back pain (CLBP) remain limited. The purpose of this study was to analyze changes in elderly women with CLBP who participate in an ERS program. Materials and Methods: The 80 participants were all women aged 61–84 years who were randomly assigned to either the control group (CON) or ERS group (ERSG). ERS exercise was performed for a duration of 12 weeks (three times each week). The degree of pain was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index and the visual analog scale. Body composition and spinal alignment were measured using bioelectrical impedance and raster stereography. The isokinetic moments of trunk extensor and flexor were measured before and after the training period. Results: The ERSG showed a significant decrease in back pain compared to the CON. There was a significant decrease in levels of fat in the ERSG, although no differences were shown in terms of muscle mass. However, there was an increased basal metabolic rate (BMR) in the ERSG. Spinal alignment in the ERSG significantly improved. The peak torques of the trunk extensor in the ERSG were also significantly increased. Conclusion: It can be inferred that the ERS exercise can decrease fat and improve the trunk extensor strength through increased BMR, leading to better spinal alignment and reducing back pain in elderly women with CLBP. Full article

Due to the considerable impact of clouds on the energy balance in the atmosphere and on the earth surface, they are of great importance for various applications in meteorology or remote sensing. An important aspect of the cloud research studies is the detection of cloudy pixels from the processing of satellite images. In this research, we investigated a stereographic method on a new set of Meteosat images, namely the combination of the high resolution visible (HRV) channel of the Meteosat-8 Indian Ocean Data Coverage (IODC) as a stereo pair with the HRV channel of the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Meteosat-10 image at 0° E. In addition, an approach based on the outputs from stereo analysis was proposed to detect cloudy pixels. This approach is introduced with a 2D-scatterplot based on the parallax value and the minimum intersection distance. The mentioned scatterplot was applied to determine/detect cloudy pixels in various image subsets with different amounts of cloud cover. Apart from the general advantage of the applied stereography method, which only depends on geometric relationships, the cloud detection results are also improved because: (1) The stereo pair is the HRV bands of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) sensor, with the highest spatial resolution available from the Meteosat geostationary platform; and (2) the time difference between the image pairs is nearly 5 s, which improves the matching results and also decreases the effect of cloud movements. In order to prove this improvement, the results of this stereo-based approach were compared with three different reflectance-based target detection techniques, including the adaptive coherent estimator (ACE), constrained energy minimization (CEM), and matched filter (MF). The comparison of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) detection curves and the area under these curves (AUC) showed better detection results with the proposed method. The AUC value was 0.79, 0.90, 0.90, and 0.93 respectively for ACE, CEM, MF, and the proposed stereo-based detection approach. The results of this research shall enable a more realistic modelling of down-welling solar irradiance in the future. Full article

A description of methods and computer programs for the prediction of “coupling properties” in axially-textured polycrystals is presented. Starting data are the single-crystal properties, texture and stereography. The validity and proper protocols for applying the Voigt, Reuss and Hill approximations to estimate coupling properties effective values is analyzed. Working algorithms for predicting mentioned averages are given. Bunge’s symmetrized spherical harmonics expansion of orientation distribution functions, inverse pole figures and (single and polycrystals) physical properties is applied in all stages of the proposed methodology. The established mathematical route has been systematized in a working computer program. The discussion of piezoelectricity in a representative textured ferro-piezoelectric ceramic illustrates the application of the proposed methodology. Polycrystal coupling properties, predicted by the suggested route, are fairly close to experimentally measured ones. Full article