Moiré fringe topography of the human body.

Moiré fringe topography is introduced as a technique for the quantification of musculoskeletal diseases. The apparatus described includes a glass grid, Polaroid camera, and a 1000-W light source. With accurately positioned subjects, this technique has application in the evaluation of scoliosis, lumbar spine disease, and tumor evaluation . By optimizing the optical principles, computer analysis is allowed, which offers further quantification of contour changes associated with these disease states.