Software for improved accuracy and rapid tracking of kinematics from dynamic Xray

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Orthopaedic disorders are a leading cause of disability in the U S with arthritis and or spine problems adversely affecting quality of life fo more than of adults While advances in diagnostic imaging have greatly improved our ability to detect structural changes in musculoskeletal tissues they typically reveal little about joint function There is evidence that abnormal mechanical joint function contributes significantly to the development and progression of many types of joint disease There is therefore a significant clinical need for the widespread use of technologies that can identify subtle abnormalities in joint function that if left untreated can compromise long term joint health Dynamic Stereo X ray DSX is the only currently available technology that can achieve sub mm bone pose position and orientation estimation accuracy during a wide variety of functional movements Over the past years Dr Tashman has developed a sophisticated set of DSX software tools for his research involving the tracking of bones during various movements In Phase I we implemented published key algorithms of the DSX in a modern development environment and added several important innovations that make it a better clinical tool We used motion capture data from a D video based system to seed the tracking optimization We improved the operator interaction to manipulate seed poses manually We designed and implemented a D algorithm based on a global solution finder that uses all time frames simultaneously These innovations reduce the amount of operator time required to process a data set reduce the noise in the solutions and allow the use of asynchronous X ray systems which are much more common than synchronous systems These innovations have been an important step toward making DSX software a robust clinical tool Building on our success in Phase I in Phase II we will introduce several innovations that will enable more regions of the body to be analyzed and further reduce the amount of operator time and CPU time needed to analyze a movement We will implement Dr Tashmanandapos s published hierarchical algorithm in the D optimization to better track bones that overlap significantly with other bones e g the spine and to extend this algorithm to other regions of the body We will also develop a modular system for defining anatomically meaningful coordinate systems in any bone which is needed to represent joint kinematics of the tracked bones We will quantify the robustness of the solution to inaccuracies in the input to provide guidelines for the required accuracy of the seed pose Finally we will implement the remaining DSX algorithms including D calibration and distortion correction to create a complete clinical package PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Dynamic Stereo X ray DSX mitigates uncertainty in D motion capture by directly measuring motion of the skeleton and is the only currently available technology that can achieve sub mm accuracy for a wide variety of functional movements In this Phase II project we will develop an innovative clinical research application for DSX to provide rapid assessment of musculoskeletal function during dynamic activities Just as cine angiography has revolutionized diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disorders widespread availability of DSX could significantly improve treatment for a wide variety of orthopaedic disorders