Computed tomography-based navigation for hip, knee, and spine surgery

A review of CT-based orthopaedic navigation is presented with a specific emphasis on arthroplasty for the hip and the knee. Fundamental issues about the laboratory and clinical validation of the applications are addressed. The ability to compute the position and orientation of an acetabular implant using a postoperative CT scan was investigated. Angle deviations relative to known positions were computed with an error of less than 1 degree. Then, the system accuracy for three-dimensional reconstruction and registration of two cadaveric pelvis specimens was measured with more than 350 registrations. We observed a maximal inclination error of 5degrees in 99% of cases and a maximal anteversion error of 5degrees in 97% of cases. The accuracy of the three-dimensional reconstruction and registration for knee arthroplasty also was measured and computed with an angular accuracy of 0.5degrees in the AP plane and accuracy of 3degrees in the lateral plane. A clinical study then was done in 109 cases where 96% of implants were installed with a hip-knee-ankle angle of 180 +/- 3degrees. Computed tomography-based navigation for orthopaedic surgery provides greater accuracy and reproducibility than conventional surgery. As noted by learning curves, software improvements are needed to bring it into daily clinical routine.