A Protocol to Reduce Interobserver Variability in the Computed Tomography Measurement of Orbital Floor Fractures

In this study, 15 independent observers without clinical experience in orbital fracture detection and measurement measured the orbital floor fractures of three randomly selected patients following the protocol. The time required for each measurement was recorded. The intraclass correlation coefficient of the surface area measurements is 0.999 (0.997–1.000) with p-value < 0.001. This suggests that any observer measuring the surface area will obtain a similar estimation of the fractured surface area. The maximum error limit was 0.901 cm2 which is less than the margin of error of 1 cm2 in mesh trimming for orbital reconstruction. The average duration required for each measurement was 3 minutes 19 seconds (ranging from 1 minute 35 seconds to 5 minutes). Measurements performed with our novel protocol resulted in minimal interobserver variability. This protocol is effective and generated reproducible results, is easy to teach and utilize, and its findings can be interpreted easily.[...]Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.Article in Thieme eJournals:Table of contents  |  Abstract  |  Full text
Source: Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research