An even background and adequate light conditions are commonly considered key in the art of medical photography. Guidelines have been provided as to what background to use, (the sky blue has been classically considered to be the best background for hand surgery), which light source to use, and many other factors affecting the obtention of a good quality medical image. 1 2 3 Recommendations on how to set up a photographic studio can also be found in the indexed literature. 1 Mini-studios also known as lightboxes are commonly used in commercial photography to acquire pictures of small- to medium-sized products such as phones or watches; the application of these devices for hand surgery photography has not been previously reported to the best of our knowledge. We have successfully used a 20 × 20 × 20 cm mini-studio (Puluz photography lightbox; Puluz, Shenzhen, China) to obtain pre- and postoperative images of our hand surgery patients ( Fig. 1 ); the device is easy to carry as it can be folded into a small package, it has different backgrounds, it is relatively inexpensive, and it provides suitable light conditions with a known temperature of 5,500 K, obviating the use of flashes and minimizing shadows ( Fig. 2 ).
Fig. 1.
The mini-studio provides light from two led bars located at the top; these can be powered by a small computer or an external battery such as a power bank or a similar accessory.
Fig. 2.
( A ) An image of one of our cases, a gamekeeper’s thumb, taken at the operating room with blue background and flash. ( B ) and ( C ) are images taken in the mini-studio using the classical sky blue background and an optional black background which may be desirable in some circumstances. ( D , E ) A fingertip amputation, ( D ) was taken with a flash and blue background and ( E ) was taken with a special blue background that we fabricated from a PVC sheet, we use this one for bleeding injuries, as it can be cleaned at the hospital. All of the pictures were taken with the same camera, Sony DSC-WX300 (Sony Corp., Tokyo, Japan). PVC, polyvinyl chloride.
For hand surgery photography, it is advisable to choose one with a hole at the top as this allows for zenithal photography ( Fig. 3 ). One of the main advantages of this method is affordability; the mini-studio can be purchased for approximately one-tenth of the price of an annular flash, and it can be considered a reasonable approach where a photographic department is not available at the hospital.
Fig. 3.
( A ) The camera is placed over the top hatch to obtain the pictures at a 90-degree angle; ( B ) A PVC background can be adjusted to the back of the mini-studio for bleeding injuries; and ( C ) the area inside the box is enough for the author to place his own hands along with the patient’s hand; this allows for the acquisition of videos or physical examination pictures. PVC, polyvinyl chloride.
Funding Statement
Funding None.
Footnotes
NoteConflict of Interest This is a technical tip, level V study.
None declared.
References
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