Evaluation of Shoulder Joint Diseases Using Joint Contact Area Analysis in Vivo

Abstract

Three-dimensional visualization of joint motion is an extremely significant attempt to provide important information for understanding pathological conditions and deciding on treatment plans. Especially in the shoulder joint, the support mechanism of the joint by soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments, as well as hard tissues such as bones, is important. The purpose of this study was to develop a system to analyze the contact area of the shoulder joint under physiological conditions using 4D-CT, which has been difficult to understand the pathophysiology of shoulder joint diseases in vivo. Since these analysis methods can be widely applied to the analysis of joint motion throughout the body, they are expected to be highly practical not only for upper limb diseases, but also for lower limb and spinal diseases. The results are expected to be reported at international conferences and submitted to international journals in the future.