The Use of Mini-Studios in Hand Surgery Photography

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.

Publication History

Received: 02 July 2018

Accepted after revision: 13 June 2019

Article published online:
02 November 2019

• References

• 1 DiBernardo BE, Adams RL, Krause J, Fiorillo MA, Gheradini G. Photographic standards in plastic surger. Plast Reconstr Surg 1998; 102 (02) 559-568
• 2 Uzun M, Bülbül M, Toker S, Beksaç B, Kara A. Medical photography: principles for orthopedic. J Orthop Surg Res 2014; 9: 23
• 3 Wang K, Kowalski EJ, Chung KC. The art and science of photography in hand surger. J Hand Surg Am 2014; 39 (03) 580-588