Thermovision diagnostics in chosen spine diseases treated by whole body cryotherapy

Armand Cholewka • Zofia Drzazga • Aleksander Sieron´ • Agata Stanek

Abstract

The non-invasive infrared technique was used in case of the thermal imaging of patients suffering from spine diseases. Measurements were performed for the group of 50 patients during whole body cryotherapy at the second, fifth and tenth day of the rehabilitation cycle. An enhancement of the profile of skin temperature due to body cooling caused an increase in the diagnostic sensitivity of thermovision. The temperature parameters such as temperature contrast (DT = Tmax – Tmin) and relative change of contrast ratio defined as (DT)/(Tmean) in the region of interest (ROI’s) were used to point out differences between the healthy patients and patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, sciatica and spondyloarthrosis. The value of the thermovision diagnostic in the case of spine diseases was confirmed by statistical analysis.

Keywords: Thermal imaging – Temperature – Cryotherapy