Spine Deformity Patients With Optoelectronic Motion Capture

Aging-induced changes in the spine can lead to adult spinal deformity, causing a forward and/or lateral shift of the trunk. While mild cases may have compensatory mechanisms, severe deformities necessitate treatment. Surgery with instrumentation effectively corrects deformities, but complications are common. Precise pre-operative planning based on X-rays is essential. However, radiological imaging has limitations, including ionizing radiation exposure and static nature. Marker-based optoelectronic motion analysis systems offer potential benefits for dynamic spine assessment.

This study aims to test the feasibility of using motion analysis systems to characterize spinal alignment and balance in patients with adult spine deformity. The primary objective is to assess the practical implementation, measurement capability, and resources required for motion analysis. Secondary objectives include investigating errors in absolute spinal curvature assessment and developing compensation strategies.

The project will recruit 20 patients (non-operated and operated) seeking medical attention for adult spine deformities and 10 healthy controls. Participants will undergo biplanar imaging and motion analysis to capture static and dynamic spine alignment during common activities. The data will help build patient-specific musculoskeletal models, offering potential insights into improving surgical planning for adult spine deformities.