## 4 Discussion  
Studies using 3D ST have often been used to find a measurement method that produces results parallel to the Cobb angle measured by conventional radiography [37; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 50; 51; 52]. Typically, the results of this approach are less than moderately accurate due to the different measures. The 6 th SOSORT consensus paper indicated the Cobb angle could be seen neither as the unique nor the only decisive parameter in managing patients with idiopathic scoliosis [48]. The Cobb angle is measured for straight lines drawn for 3D objects--the sum of the absorptions of the vertebral bodies' endplates visible on X-rays. The authors described a method that approximates 3D ST and radiological examination results but uses the spinous processes as a reference due to their closest location to the posterior surface mapped with 3D ST. As a spinal deformity, scoliosis is typically diagnosed using radiography, which operates with a particular radiation dose [1]. The novel three-dimensional evaluation of the spine using structured light has been proposed to supplement the radiogram to obtain a more accurate and reliable image and fulfill radiation dose reduction attempts [2; 7; 19; 22; 26; 44]. The method of automatic measurement of anatomical landmarks (prominent skeletal structures) on the human back surface was used to calculate back shape indices from surface measurements [31; 53]. The method described in this article allows finding the well correlated three-dimensional spinous processes line in mild to moderate scoliosis patients. Calculation and visualization of the spinous processes line may be useful for physicians, therapists, and patients (and parents for children and adolescents) to visualize the deformity. The range of reliable measurements was anticipated for patients with a Cobb angle smaller than 50\({}^{\circ}\)[44]. The curvature may be obscured to some extent by scapulae, as described by [PERSON] and [PERSON]. The approach presented in this study for scoliosis cases utilizes the combined data from 3D ST optical scans and X-rays. As a result, contactless optical 3D ST systems are more frequently recommended to estimate spinous processes' curvature and the spine line's trajectory. Moire topography [54], structured-light-projection-based systems [55; 56], laser scanning, and videorasterssteerography [31; 57; 58; 59; 60; 61; 62; 63; 64; 65; 66; 67; 68] are used for three-dimensional evaluation of the spine and full torso. The use of 3D ST also allows analysis of scoliotic deformity, chest deformities including funnel chest, posture, the kyphotic angle of the spine, and back shape, and the detection of stimulated back muscle contractions. Automatic localization of anatomical landmarks on the dorsal surface was proposed by [PERSON] and [PERSON] in 1987 [39] using calculations from rasterstereographic surface measurements and was continued by other researchers [34; 42; 45; 69; 70; 71]. The surface curvature drawn from the image is related to the previously described anatomical osteologic prominencies [31; 53]. The method allows for finding the 3D spinous processes line in patients with mild to moderate scoliosis. Calculation and visualization of the spinous processes line may help physicians, therapists, and their parents visualize the deformity. The method described in this paper may be suitable for progressed scoliosis cases where other 3D ST methods are uncertain. The method was tested in one patient with a Cobb angle \(>\)50\({}^{\circ}\). A single example may not demonstrate that the method is fully operational as it was only shown to work for larger curves by testing in one case. It is anticipated that future inventions will focus on providing 3D ST information of the vertebral column line based on X-ray devices already available in clinics [23]. An MRI scan is usually taken for spinal cord involvement or preoperative planning [19].