Symmetry Recognition System Detects Spinal Deformity

However, the act leaves it up to the respective medical associations or education boards in each municipality to decide how to conduct the checks, giving rise to regional gaps in the detection rate. Another related problem is the burden placed on doctors, who have to examine a large number of students within a limited time frame.

To address these issues, associate professor Hideki Sudo, MD, of the Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, and Professor Satoshi Kanai, PhD, of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology developed the new system, which evaluates the level of asymmetry on the surface of the back without requiring the presence of a physician. The device is expected to go through clinical testing so that it can be used in clinics and for physical examinations at schools.

Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. Although it is a complex three-dimensional deformity, on an X-ray, viewed from the rear, the spine of an individual with scoliosis may look more like an "S" or a "C" than a straight line. Scoliosis is typically classified as congenital, idiopathic, or neuromuscular, when it has developed as a secondary symptom of another condition, such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, spinal muscular atrophy, or physical trauma.

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