CAMPS: Computer‐automated metacarpophalangeal profile system

Abstract

The metacarpophalangeal profile (MCP) pattern has been proven useful in describing individuals with genetic and nongenetic syndromes. However, the measurement of the 19 bone lengths is a tedious procedure requiring use of hand vernier calipers, detailed normative data to be looked up in extensive tables, hand calculator, and manual graphing techniques. Presently there are no reports of microcomputer-automated systems for the accurate measurement, recording, analysis, and graphing of MCP profiles. We describe a computer-automated metacarpophalangeal profile system (CAMPS) that will assist in the derivation of the MCP profile. This program allows the user to select different program routines that perform the functions necessary for MCP profile construction. The "data acquisition module" (DAM) assists in bone length measurement from contact prints of hand radiographs and stores the 19 measurements on a floppy disk. The "standardization analysis module" (SAM) then compares the 19 measurements to age- and sex-matched normal data and converts the raw data to z-score values. The "Pearson product-moment correlation module" (PPM) generates a correlation coefficient describing the degree of similarity between the two hands measured and graphically illustrates the resulting scatterplot. The "MCP plotting module" (MCPM) provides a graphic plot of the 19 bones in either transverse rows or phalangeal rays on a dot-matrix printer or X-Y plotter.