Model-based tracking of the bones of the foot: A biplane fluoroscopy validation study

Measuring foot kinematics using optical motion capture is technically challenging due to the depth of the talus, small bone size, and soft tissue artifact. We present a validation of our biplane X-ray system, demonstrating its accuracy in tracking the foot bones directly. Using an experimental linear/rotary stage we imaged pairs of tali, calcanei, and first metatarsals, with embedded beads, through 30 poses. Model- and bead-based algorithms were employed for semi-automatic tracking. Translational and rotational poses were compared to the experimental stage (a reference standard) to determine registration performance. For each bone, 10 frames per pose were analyzed. Model-based: The resulting overall translational bias of the six bones was 0.058 mm with a precision of 0.049 mm. The overall rotational bias of the six bones was 0.42 with a precision of 0.41. Bead-based: the overall translational bias was 0.037 mm with a precision of 0.032 mm and for rotation was 0.29 with a precision of 0.26. We validated the accuracy of our system to determine the spatial position and orientation of isolated foot bones, including the talus, calcaneus, and first metatarsal over a range of quasi-static poses. Although the accuracy of dynamic motion was not assessed, use of an experimental stage establishes a reference standard.