Accuracy of customized miniature stereotactic platforms

In this study, a new system was evaluated for implanting deep-brain stimulators based on a one-piece platform for each trajectory customized from a preoperative planning image. During surgery, the platform is attached to skull-implanted posts that extend through the scalp. The platform acts as a miniature stereotactic frame to provide guidance for parallel cannulas as they are advanced through a burr hole to the target. Accuracy is determined from a postoperative CT. For each implantation, the distance between the position observed in the postoperative image and the position calculated relative to the platform from the preoperative image is our measure of error. Because this measure incorporates the surgical error of electrode anchoring, brain shift between preoperative and postoperative scanning, and error in the measurement of the position of the electrode in CT, it will tend to overestimate the true error. The mean error was 2.8 mm for 20 implantations. These data reflect favorably the accuracy of this system when compared with others. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.