This study further evaluated a computer-based infrared thermography (IRT) system, which employs artificial neural networks for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) using a large database of 502 thermal images of the dorsal and palmar side of 132 healthy and 119 pathological hands. It confirmed the hypothesis that the dorsal side of the hand is of greater importance than the palmar side when diagnosing CTS thermographically. Using this method it was possible correctly to classify 72.2% of all hands (healthy and pathological) based on dorsal images and > 80% of hands when only severely affected and healthy hands were considered. Compared with the gold standard electromyographic diagnosis of CTS, IRT cannot be recommended as an adequate diagnostic tool when exact severity level diagnosis is required, however we conclude that IRT could be used as a screening tool for severe cases in populations with high ergonomic risk factors of CTS.

Thermography for the measurement of surface temperatures is well known in industry, although is not established in medicine despite its safety, lack of pain and invasiveness, easy reproducibility, and low running costs. Promising results have been achieved in nerve entrapment syndromes, although thermography has never represented a real alternative to electromyography. Here an attempt is described to improve the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome with thermography using a computer-based system employing artificial neural networks to analyse the images. Method reliability was tested on 112 images (depicting the dorsal and palmar sides of 26 healthy and 30 pathological hands), with the hand divided into 12 segments and compared relative to a reference. Palmar segments appeared to have no beneficial influence on classification outcome, whereas dorsal segments gave improved outcome with classification success rates near to or over 80%, and finger segments influenced by the median nerve appeared to be of greatest importance. These are preliminary results from a limited number of images and further research will be undertaken as our image database grows.

The main purpose of this research was to develop a new method for differentiating between scoliotic and healthy subjects by analysing the curvatures of their spines in the cranio-caudal view. The study included 247 subjects with physiological curvatures of the spine and 28 subjects with clinically confirmed scoliosis. The curvature of the spine was determined by a computer analysis of the surface of the back, measured with a non-invasive, 3D, laser-triangulation system. The determined spinal curve was represented in the transversal plane, which is perpendicular to the line segment that was defined by the initial point and the end point of the spinal curve. This was achieved using a rotation matrix. The distances between the extreme points in the antero-posterior (AP) and left-right (LR) views were calculated in relation to the length of the spine as well as the quotient of these two values LR/AP. All the measured parameters were compared between the scoliotic and control groups using the Student’s t-Test in case of normal data and Kruskal-Wallis test in case of non-normal data. Besides, a comprehensive diagram representing the distances between the extreme points in the AP and LR views was introduced, which clearly demonstrated the direction and the size of the thoracic and lumbar spinal curvatures for each individual subject. While the distances between the extreme points of the spine in the AP view were found to differ only slightly between the groups (p = 0.1), the distances between the LR extreme points were found to be significantly greater in the scoliosis group, compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The quotient LR/AP was statistically significantly different in both groups (p < 0.001). The main innovation of the presented method is the ability to differentiate a scoliotic subject from a healthy subject by assessing the curvature of the spine in the cranio-caudal view. Therefore, the proposed method could be useful for human posture diagnostics as well as to provide a long-term monitoring of scoliotic spine curvatures in preventive and curative clinical practice at all levels of health care.

This study aimed to compare outcomes of early active motion (EAM) using the relative motion extension (RME) approach to outcomes of early passive motion (EPM) with a dynamic extension orthosis (DEO) and to evaluate whether the RME-only approach is equivalent to the RME-plus approach. Fifty adults were randomized into one of the three intervention groups receiving the DEO, RME only, or RME plus orthosis. The score of the Jebsen–Taylor hand function test (JTHFT) without writing and QuickDASH at T1, all measures of mobility at T1 and T2, and grip strength were better in the RME-only and RME-plus group compared to the DEO group, whereas the values of Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM) at T1 and T2, as well as QuickDASH score at T2, orthosis adherence, and the patient’s comfort while wearing the orthoses did not statistically significantly differ among the three groups. The RME concept after extensor tendon injuries in zones 4–6 is superior to the DEO protocol in terms of earlier regain of hand function. The DEO and RME protocols were equivalent regarding patients’ adherence and satisfaction with the orthosis. We found no differences in the RME-plus and RME-only protocols, indicating the safe use of the RME-only protocol in single extensor tendon injuries in zones 4–6.