Appraisal of the New Posture Analyzing and Virtual Reconstruction Device (PAViR) for Assessing Sagittal Posture Parameters: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to report the clinical validation of the posture analyzing and virtual reconstruction device (PAViR) system, focusing on the accuracy of sagittal spinal parameters, compared with the EOS imaging system. Seventy patients diagnosed with segmental and somatic dysfunction were recruited between February 2020 and November 2020. Each patient was examined using the EOS imaging system and PAViR; the sagittal parameters of human body posture [forward head posture (FHP), T1 tilt angle (T1t), knee flexion angle (KF), lumbar lordosis angle (LL), and pelvic tilt angle (PT)] were analyzed to verify the correlation between the results of the two devices. The median differences in the results of the two devices showed significant differences in FHP (T4-frontal head and T4-auditory canal), T1t, and PT. In the correlation analysis, the values of FHP (C7-auditory canal, T4-frontal head, and T4-auditory canal), T1t, and PT showed a moderate correlation between the two devices (r = 0.741, 0.795, 0.761, 0.621, and 0.692, respectively) (p < 0.001). The KF and LL was fairly correlated (r = 0.514 and 0.536, respectively) (p = 0.004, both). This study presents the potential of a novel skeletal imaging system without radiation exposure, based on a 3D red-green-blue-depth camera (PAViR), as a next-generation diagnostic tool by estimating more accurate parameters through continuous multi-data-based upgrades with artificial intelligence technology.