just so that there isn't any confusion.. spinecor's software is just for recording findings and calculating what type of scoliosis one has..
even if x-ray was done digitally, it has to be measured on the computer that it was stored in and the number has to be transferred to spinecor system.
as for x-ray measurement discrepency, when you have 10 or 20 degree's most likely they measured it on different vertebra...that's the problem when you have multiple people read the x-ray...it's a subjective thing and one needs to find the level most slanted during cobb angle measurement and it can be different from person to person...
Digital doesn't necessarily increase the accuracy either...the size of the dots they use during mensuration are kinda too big...some ppl decide to center the dot on the edge of the endplate, some just inside, some just outside..you get the gist.... if one's doing pencil mensuration, even sharpness of the pencil can give a bit of discrepency..
the time lapsed x-rays are also problematic because there's absolutely no way of doing idential shots...even though one stands in exact same place with exact same posture, the placement of the tube can be a bit off from last and patient may feel a bit mroe fatigued and could slump a bit more..etc...
x-ray is 2-D shadow of 3-d object...any discrepency above will give different outcome...
I guess only accurate way of doing this would be 3-d computer tomography of the x-ray and measuring it with software without human factors involved...which I don't even know if exists or even if it does, the cost will be too prohibitive..
Having said that, having x-ray taken from same machine from same person who uses same standards doing mensuration on every film would give reasonably reliable measurements....the key word being reasonable..
even if x-ray was done digitally, it has to be measured on the computer that it was stored in and the number has to be transferred to spinecor system.
as for x-ray measurement discrepency, when you have 10 or 20 degree's most likely they measured it on different vertebra...that's the problem when you have multiple people read the x-ray...it's a subjective thing and one needs to find the level most slanted during cobb angle measurement and it can be different from person to person...
Digital doesn't necessarily increase the accuracy either...the size of the dots they use during mensuration are kinda too big...some ppl decide to center the dot on the edge of the endplate, some just inside, some just outside..you get the gist.... if one's doing pencil mensuration, even sharpness of the pencil can give a bit of discrepency..
the time lapsed x-rays are also problematic because there's absolutely no way of doing idential shots...even though one stands in exact same place with exact same posture, the placement of the tube can be a bit off from last and patient may feel a bit mroe fatigued and could slump a bit more..etc...
x-ray is 2-D shadow of 3-d object...any discrepency above will give different outcome...
I guess only accurate way of doing this would be 3-d computer tomography of the x-ray and measuring it with software without human factors involved...which I don't even know if exists or even if it does, the cost will be too prohibitive..
Having said that, having x-ray taken from same machine from same person who uses same standards doing mensuration on every film would give reasonably reliable measurements....the key word being reasonable..
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