Quantification of Contralateral Differences of the Scaphoid : A Comparison of Bone Geometry in Three Dimensions

Abstract EN

The purpose of this study was to accurately quantify contralateral differences of the scaphoid in three-dimensional space to evaluate the feasibility of using the healthy contralateral bone as a reconstruction template in the preoperative planning of complex mal- or nonunions.

Three-dimensional surface models of the left and right scaphoids were reconstructed from computed tomography images and compared in 26 individuals.

Left-right differences were quantified with respect to volume, surface area, length, and surface-to-surface deviation.

The average left-right differences in volume, surface area, and length were 95.4 mm3 (SD 66.2 mm3), 32.7 mm2 (SD 22.9 mm32), and 0.28 mm (SD 0.4 mm), respectively.

The average surface-to-surface deviation between the sides was 0.26 mm (SD 0.2 mm).

High statistical correlation (Pearson) between the left and the right side was found in all evaluated measures.