3-D wound scanner: A novel, effective, reliable, and convenient tool for measuring scar area

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether a three-dimensional (3-D) wound scanner could be used to measure the area of scars. Scar models were constructed using flesh-colored, brown-colored (simulating hyperpigmented scars), orange-colored (simulating scars with obvious vascularization), and white-colored (simulating hypopigmented scars) plastic. Each colored plastic was used to construct scar models with regular and irregular base surfaces (four each). Two human models were selected to simulate patients with scars, and the scar models were placed on the right cheek, right lower jaw-neck, right ulnar forearm, anterior tibial region of the right calf, and at the back of these human models for scar area measurement. Two experimenters separately measured the scar area vertically using the profile method, pixel method, and 3-D wound scanner. Each experimenter measured the scar area thrice. Regarding accuracy, we found significant differences between the data and standard value of various measurement methods (P  0.90, showing high reliability; thus, fulfilling the requirements for clinical measurement. The 3-D wound scanner took an average time of 38.87 ± 3.45 s for measurement, which was significantly shorter compared that for other methods The 3-D wound scanner showed greater accuracy and correlation, and a shorter measurement time, compared with other measurement methods The inter-experimenter reliability and retesting stability of the 3-D wound scanner also fulfilled the requirements for clinical measurement.