A geometric model and related methods to easily define patient specific vertebral
body models have been introduced in our previous studies. This paper proposes an angle
measurement method that can be fully automated after the definition of the patient
specific vertebral body model. A Principal Component Analysis based algorithm allowing
the quick identification of the symmetry plane of the human spline is also developed
and described. The clinical dataset used to analyse and validate the models and methods
introduced consists of 39 patients’ lumbar section of the spinal column with 195 vertebrae.
In terms of angle measurement the proposed geometric model and the measurement method
is proven to be accurate enough for clinical diagnostics, the average mean value of
the measurement error 0.15° and 0.75° comparing the measurements to the two reference
datasets. The average standard deviation of the error was around 2.50° that is almost
the same as the average standard deviation of the two reference datasets (2.34°).
