Reliability and Agreement of Automated Head Measurements From 3-Dimensional Photogrammetry in Young Children

This study aimed to assess the reliability and agreement of automated head measurements using 3-dimensional (3D) photogrammetry in young children. Specifically, the study evaluated the agreement between manual and automated occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) measurements (n = 264) obtained from 3D images of 188 patients diagnosed with sagittal synostosis using a novel automated method proposed in this study. In addition, the study aimed to determine the interrater and intrarater reliability of the automatically extracted OFC, cephalic index, and volume. The results of the study showed that the automated OFC measurements had an excellent agreement with manual measurements, with a very strong regression score (R2= 0.969) and a small mean difference of -0.1 cm (-0.2%). The limits of agreement ranged from -0.93 to 0.74 cm, falling within the reported limits of agreement for manual OFC measurements. High interrater and intrarater reliability of OFC, cephalic index, and volume measurements were also demonstrated. The proposed method for automated OFC measurements was found to be a reliable alternative to manual measurements, which may be particularly beneficial in young children who undergo 3D imaging in craniofacial centers as part of their treatment protocol and in research settings that require a reproducible and transparent pipeline for anthropometric measurements. The method has been incorporated into CraniumPy, an open-source tool for 3D image visualization, registration, and optimization, which is publicly available on GitHub (https://github.com/T-AbdelAlim/CraniumPy).</p

CraniumPy:A Toolbox for 3D Craniofacial Image Processing

CraniumPy is a simple tool that can be used to register 3D meshes for cranial analysis using three landmarks. In its current state, a raw 3D mesh (.ply, .obj, .stl) can be imported and visualized. After registration, cephalometric measurements can be automatically extracted

Sagittal Craniosynostosis: Comparing Surgical Techniques using 3D Photogrammetry

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare three surgical interventions to correct sagittal synostosis: frontobiparietal remodeling (FBR), extended strip craniotomy (ESC), and spring assisted correction (SAC), based on 3D photogrammetry and operation characteristics. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with non-syndromic sagittal synostosis, born between 1991 and 2019, who underwent FBR, ESC or SAC, and had at least one postoperative 3D photogrammetry image taken during one of six follow-up moments until the age of six, were considered for this study. Operation characteristics, postoperative complications, re-interventions, and presence of intracranial hypertension were collected. To assess cranial growth, orthogonal cranial slices and 3D photocephalometric measurements were extracted automatically and evaluated from 3D photogrammetry images. RESULTS: A total of 322 postoperative 3D images from 218 patients were included. After correcting for age and gender, no significant differences were observed in 3D photocephalometric measurements. Mean cranial shapes suggest that postoperative growth and shape gradually normalize with higher OFC and ICV values compared to normal, regardless of type of surgery. Flattening of the vertex seems to persist after surgical correction. Our cranial 3D mesh processing tool has been made publicly available as a part of this study. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that until the age of six, there are no significant differences between the FBR, ESC, and SAC in their ability to correct sagittal synostosis with regard to 3D photocephalometric measurements. Therefore, efforts should be made to ensure early diagnosis so that minimally invasive surgery is still a viable treatment option

Three-Dimensional Stereophotogrammetry in the Evaluation of Craniosynostosis: Current and Potential Use Cases

Three-dimensional (3D) stereophotogrammetry is a novel imaging technique that has gained popularity in the medical field as a reliable, non-invasive, and radiation-free imaging modality. It uses optical sensors to acquire multiple 2D images from different angles which are reconstructed into a 3D digital model of the subject's surface. The technique proved to be especially useful in craniofacial applications, where it serves as a tool to overcome the limitations imposed by conventional imaging modalities and subjective evaluation methods. The capability to acquire high-dimensional data in a quick and safe manner and archive them for retrospective longitudinal analyses, provides the field with a methodology to increase the understanding of the morphological development of the cranium, its growth patterns and the effect of different treatments over time.This review describes the role of 3D stereophotogrammetry in the evaluation of craniosynostosis, including reliability studies, current and potential clinical use cases, and practical challenges. Finally, developments within the research field are analyzed by means of bibliometric networks, depicting prominent research topics, authors, and institutions, to stimulate new ideas and collaborations in the field of craniofacial 3D stereophotogrammetry.We anticipate that utilization of this modality's full potential requires a global effort in terms of collaborations, data sharing, standardization, and harmonization. Such developments can facilitate larger studies and novel deep learning methods that can aid in reaching an objective consensus regarding the most effective treatments for patients with craniosynostosis and other craniofacial anomalies, and to increase our understanding of these complex dysmorphologies and associated phenotypes

A bibliometric overview of craniosynostosis research development

This article reviews the development of research in the field of craniosynostosis from a bibliometric standpoint. Craniosynostosis is a malformation occurring during the early development of the skull, when one or more of the sutures close too early, causing problems with normal brain and skull growth. Research in this field has developed from early clinical case descriptions, to genetic discoveries responsible for the occurring malformations and onwards to developing sophisticated surgical treatment. In this article we describe these developments, zoom in on publication trends and characteristics and visualize developing networks and topic shifts in this research field