Objective Longitudinal Monitoring of Burn Wound Area Using 3D Surface Scanning: A Pilot Study

TL;DR

This pilot study explores using 3D scanning to track burn wound healing over time, offering a more objective alternative to traditional methods.

Contribution

The study introduces structured-light 3D scanning as a novel method for longitudinal burn wound assessment.

Findings

Baseline wound areas ranged from 7.27 to 2137.98 cm², with percentage reductions up to 92.30%.

Large wounds showed rapid area reduction early on, while small burns healed faster within 10–15 days.

3D scanning enabled calculation of metrics like ΔA, ΔTBSA%, and daily healing rates.

Abstract

Background: Burn assessment traditionally relies on visual inspection and 2D estimation, which introduces substantial variability in determining wound size and healing progression. Three-dimensional (3D) surface scanning offers a more objective alternative, yet the clinical utility of area-based metrics obtained from 3D surface data remains insufficiently defined. This pilot study aimed to evaluate structured-light 3D scanning for objective longitudinal quantification of the burn wound surface area and a description of area-based healing dynamics derived from repeated measurements. Methods: Eighteen patients with 43 acute thermal burns underwent serial structured-light scanning, followed by manual segmentation of wound regions and the calculation of absolute and percentage area reduction as well as TBSA-normalized metrics. Longitudinal monitoring was performed by comparing sequential 3D surface models acquired at defined clinical follow-ups, enabling the calculation of absolute area change (ΔA), percentage reduction, daily healing rate, and ΔTBSA%. Results: Baseline wound areas ranged from 7.27 to 2137.98 cm2. Percentage area reduction ranged from 5.25% to 92.30%. The overall reduction in burn burden (ΔTBSA) ranged from 0.07% to 12.94%. Large wounds tended to show rapid absolute area reduction (>100–300 cm2/day) during early follow-up, while small superficial burns frequently achieved >80% reduction within 10–15 days. Conclusions: These findings suggest that 3D surface scanning may support the objective longitudinal assessment of burn wound healing. This pilot provides a basis for future studies evaluating additional topographic parameters and broader clinical applications.

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