[Digital computer arthrometry of the upper ankle joint using a personal computer. A new procedure].

The digital computerarthrometry (DCAM) was developed as a very cost-effective device to calculate the pathologic angles of injured joints. The joint's data are captured by a frame grabber-board installed in a personal computer after takeover from the X-rays by a video camera. Measurements are performed using a commercially available software package which displays the X-ray-photograph on a separate screen besides the one used to manipulate the computer. With this system the calculations of angles and distances of the injured joints are performed with considerably higher precision as it could be done before. As a further possibility bone density measurements may be done from the X-rays as it had been tried to before computers could be used. Our first results seem to present our system as an alternative to the costly workstations, that had to be used until now.