Abstract
Applying dry bone osteometrics to virtual bone surfaces obtained via medical imaging raises the question of consistency between the variables. Variables obtained from virtual bone surfaces also need to be sufficiently repeatable and reproducible to be valid for anthropological studies. This is also true for the landmarks defining these variables and for their acquisition. The consistency between variables taken directly from dry bones and from the virtual surfaces of dry bones was tested on 40 clavicles. 30 virtual surfaces of iliae, fifth lumbar vertebrae, and clavicles reconstructed from computed tomography scans of living individuals were used to test the repeatability and reproducibility of 16 landmarks and 19 variables. Statistical tests, graphical and quantitative error evaluations, and intraclass correlation coefficients were applied. The differences between all variables taken on dry and virtual clavicles were less than ±1 mm. Bland–Altman plots showed more than 95% reliability between variables obtained on dry bone and their virtually reconstructed surfaces, confirming their consistency and thus validating their use in osteometric studies independently of the medium of study. Although not all landmarks were repeatable and reproducible, most variables were. To assess intra- or inter-observer errors, graphical representations or coefficients are more precise and accurate than statistical tests. These two evaluation methods should be given priority to test the repeatability and reproducibility of osteometric variables.
Résumé
L’application directe de mesures définies sur os sec à du matériel obtenu par imagerie médicale pose la question de l’adéquation des variables. Les variables obtenues sur surface virtuelle, les landmarks les définissant et leur mode d’acquisition doivent être répétables et reproductibles pour être valides et utilisables dans les études anthropologiques. L’adéquation entre variables prises directement sur os sec et sur surface virtuelle a été testée sur 40 clavicules. Les surfaces de 30 iliums, cinquièmes vertèbres lombaires et clavicules reconstruites à partir de CT scans d’individus vivants ont servi à tester la répétabilité et la reproductibilité de 16 landmarks et 19 variables. L’évaluation est fondée sur des tests statistiques, des outils graphiques, des paramètres quantitatifs et des coefficients de corrélation intraclasse. Les différences entre les variables sur os sec et sur leurs homologues virtuels étaient inférieures à 1 mm. Les graphiques de Bland-Altman montrent une adéquation supérieure à 95 % entre les variables. Elles sont donc valides pour des études métriques de la clavicule, quel que soit le support d’étude. La majorité des variables sont répétables et reproductibles, à l’inverse des landmarks. Les paramètres quantitatifs ou les représentations graphiques sont plus précis et justes que les tests statistiques pour attester de la significativité d’erreurs. Ces outils semblent à privilégier pour tester la répétabilité et la reproductibilité de variables ostéométriques.
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13219_2016_172_MOESM1_ESM.doc
Descriptive statistics of the distances between homologous landmarks placed by the same observer twice / Statistiques descriptives des distances entre landmarks homologues placés deux fois par le même observateur
13219_2016_172_MOESM2_ESM.doc
Descriptive statistics of the distances between homologous landmarks placed by two observers / Statistiques descriptives des distances entre landmarks homologues placés par deux observateurs
13219_2016_172_MOESM3_ESM.doc
Descriptive statistics of the values of the variables measured by the same observer twice. *Indicates values in mm2 / Statistiques descriptives des variables mesurées deux fois par le même observateur. *Indique des valeurs en mm 2
13219_2016_172_MOESM4_ESM.doc
Descriptive statistics of the values of the variables measured by the two observers. *Indicates values in mm2 / Statistiques descriptives des variables mesurées deux fois par deux observateurs. *Indique des valeurs en mm 2
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Corron, L., Marchal, F., Condemi, S. et al. Evaluating the consistency, repeatability, and reproducibility of osteometric data on dry bone surfaces, scanned dry bone surfaces, and scanned bone surfaces obtained from living individuals. BMSAP 29, 33–53 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13219-016-0172-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13219-016-0172-7