Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Department of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Sci Rep. 2017 Oct 31;7(1):14431. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14556-w.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a multifactorial, three-dimensional deformity of the spine and trunk. School scoliosis screening (SSS) is recommended by researchers as a means of early detection of AIS to prevent its progression in school-aged children. The traditional screening technique for AIS is the forward bending test because it is simple, non-invasive and inexpensive. Other tests, such as the use of Moiré topography, have reduced the high false referral rates. The use of infrared (IR) thermography for screening purposes based on the findings of previous studies on the asymmetrical paraspinal muscle activity of scoliotic patients compared with non-scoliotic subjects was explored in this study. IR thermography is performed with an IR camera to determine the temperature differences in paraspinal muscle activity. A statistical analysis showed that scoliotic subjects demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the left and right sides of the regions of interest. This difference could be due to the higher IR emission of the convex side of the observed area, thereby creating a higher temperature distribution. The findings of this study suggest the feasibility of incorporating IR thermography as part of SSS. However, future studies could also consider a larger sample of both non-scoliotic and scoliotic subjects to further validate the findings.
青少年特发性脊柱侧凸（AIS）是一种脊柱和躯干的多因素、三维畸形。研究人员建议进行学校脊柱侧凸筛查（SSS），作为早期发现 AIS 的一种手段，以防止其在学龄儿童中进展。AIS 的传统筛查技术是前屈试验，因为它简单、无创且价格低廉。其他测试，如使用云纹地形学，已经降低了高假转诊率。本研究探讨了基于以前关于脊柱侧凸患者与非脊柱侧凸患者脊柱旁肌肉活动不对称的研究结果，使用红外（IR）热成像进行筛查的目的。IR 热成像使用红外摄像机进行，以确定脊柱旁肌肉活动的温差。统计分析显示，脊柱侧凸患者在感兴趣区域的左右两侧存在统计学显著差异。这种差异可能是由于观察区域凸侧的 IR 发射较高，从而产生较高的温度分布。这项研究的结果表明，将 IR 热成像纳入 SSS 的可行性。然而，未来的研究也可以考虑更大的非脊柱侧凸和脊柱侧凸患者样本，以进一步验证研究结果。
