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Comparison between Oxford Cobbmeter and digital Cobbmeter for measurement of Cobb angle in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare Cobb angle measurements performed using an Oxford Cobbmeter and digital Cobbmeter in a series of 20 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients.

Methods

Four observers measured major Cobb angles on 20 standing postero-anterior radiographs of AIS patients with both Oxford Cobbmeter and digital Cobbmeter (iPhone Cobbmeter Application). The measurements were repeated a week after the original measurements.

Results

The mean Cobb angle in this study was 43.6° ± 23.62°. The mean measurement time for an observer to measure the 20 Cobb angles was 24.9 min for the smart phone compared with 25.6 min for the Oxford Cobbmeter. The 95 % confidence interval for differences between smart phone and Oxford Cobbmeter measurements on the same radiograph was ±3.68°. The intra-observer variability of the smart phone is equivalent to the Oxford Cobbmeter. The 95 % confidence intervals for inter-observer error were ±5° and ±5.8° for the smart phone and Oxford Cobbmeter, respectively.

Conclusions

We conclude that the smart phone with integrated Tiltmeter and Cobbmeter application is an equivalent Cobb measurement tool to the Oxford Cobbmeter. The advantages of smart phone are the accuracy of determining the most inclined vertebrae and accordingly more precise Cobb angle measurement. The new smart phones with these integrated applications may be really helpful to the spine surgeons, especially in hospitals where PACS or Oxford Cobbmeter is not available.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spine Unit, Al-Hadra University Hospital, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Yasser Allam, Tarek El-Fiky, Mahmoud Yasser Farghally, Sameh Al-Sabagh & Ahmed Ezzat Siam

  2. Department of Spinal Surgery and Scoliosis Center, Schön Klinik Vogtareuth, 20 Krankenhausstraße, 83569, Vogtareuth, Germany

    Ahmed Ezzat Siam

Authors
  1. Yasser Allam
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  2. Tarek El-Fiky
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  3. Mahmoud Yasser Farghally
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  4. Sameh Al-Sabagh
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  5. Ahmed Ezzat Siam
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Correspondence to Ahmed Ezzat Siam.

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All authors do not have any potential conflict of interest.

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Allam, Y., El-Fiky, T., Farghally, M.Y. et al. Comparison between Oxford Cobbmeter and digital Cobbmeter for measurement of Cobb angle in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Eur Spine J 25, 444–449 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4162-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4162-0

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