SPINE SCANER: RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT OF OBSERVATION RESULTS

Abstract

Objective. The assessment of reliability of data obtained using a firmware domestic complex Spine Scaner. Material and Methods. Fifty four healthy volunteers have been examined. Criteria for inclusion in the study were the absence of orthopedic pathology, and the Roland-Morris Back Pain Questionnaire and the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire scores being 0. Two independent observers with a different skill level performed the study. Intraobserver and interobserver data repeatability was assessed by the analysis of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and reliability coefficient for each of 31 tested parameters. Results. The observation without fixation of a patient exhibited a low repeatability, with a correlation coefficient being 0.39. Other observation stages showed the acceptable ICC mean values. The best repeatability was achieved in the study performed by the same observer, with the ICC value beiing 0.86. The interobserver repeatability had the lesser values: 0.61 for independent identification of anatomic references and 0.77 for the references identified by one of the observers. Conclusion. The Spine Scaner can be used in clinical practice for defining a shape and spatial orientation of the spine under the following conditions: a reliable fixation of the patient’s trunk, wide experience of the observer, and a strict adherence to the study protocol.