Verifying a C-arm-based roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis protocol for assessing tibial implant movement in total knee arthroplasty.

Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) is the "gold standard" technique for measuring sub-millimetric relative motion between implant and bone to quantify post-operative implant migration over time. The vast majority of RSA studies addressing implant motion in knee replacements, however, have been conducted using expensive biplanar radiography systems and commercial software that are not readily available at many institutions. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of performing RSA using ordinary, readily available C-arm fluoroscopes and open-source software to assess tibial component migration.

How Large a Study Is Needed to Detect TKA Revision Rate Reductions Attributable to Robotic or Navigated Technologies? A Simulation-based Power Analysis.

Background: Robotic and navigated TKA procedures have been introduced to improve component placement precision in the hope of improving implant survivorship and other clinical outcomes. Although numerous comparative studies have shown enhanced precision and accuracy in placing components, most comparative studies have not shown that such interventions result in improved implant survival. Given what we know about effect sizes from large arthroplasty registries, large cohort studies, and large randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we wondered how large randomized trials would need to be to detect such small differences, and if the number is very high, what that would tell us about the value of these treatments for preventing revision surgery.

Deep learning-based X-ray inpainting for improving spinal 2D-3D registration.

Background: Two-dimensional (2D)-3D registration is challenging in the presence of implant projections on intraoperative images, which can limit the registration capture range. Here, we investigate the use of deep-learning-based inpainting for removing implant projections from the X-rays to improve the registration performance.

Methods: We trained deep-learning-based inpainting models that can fill in the implant projections on X-rays.

The effect of artificial X-rays on C-arm positioning performance in a simulated orthopaedic surgical setting.

Purpose: We designed an Artificial X-ray Imaging System (AXIS) that generates simulated fluoroscopic X-ray images on the fly and assessed its utility in improving C-arm positioning performance by C-arm users with little or no C-arm experience.

Methods: The AXIS system was comprised of an optical tracking system to monitor C-arm movement, a manikin, a reference CT volume registered to the manikin, and a Digitally Reconstructed Radiograph algorithm to generate live simulated fluoroscopic images. A user study was conducted with 30 participants who had little or no C-arm experience.

A visual odometry base-tracking system for intraoperative C-arm guidance.

Purpose: C-arms are portable X-ray devices used to generate radiographic images in orthopedic surgical procedures. Evidence suggests that scouting images, which are used to aid in C-arm positioning, result in increased operation time and excess radiation exposure. C-arms are also primarily used qualitatively to view images, with limited quantitative functionality.

A comparative analysis of intensity-based 2D-3D registration for intraoperative use in pedicle screw insertion surgeries.

Purpose: Although multiple algorithms have been reported that focus on improving the accuracy of 2D-3D registration techniques, there has been relatively little attention paid to quantifying their capture range. In this paper, we analyze the capture range for a number of variant formulations of the 2D-3D registration problem in the context of pedicle screw insertion surgery.

Methods: We tested twelve 2D-3D registration techniques for capture range under different clinically realistic conditions.

A deep learning framework for segmentation and pose estimation of pedicle screw implants based on C-arm fluoroscopy.

Purpose: Pedicle screw fixation is a challenging procedure with a concerning rates of reoperation. After insertion of the screws is completed, the most common intraoperative verification approach is to acquire anterior-posterior and lateral radiographic images, based on which the surgeons try to visually assess the correctness of insertion. Given the limited accuracy of the existing verification techniques, we identified the need for an accurate and automated pedicle screw assessment system that can verify the screw insertion intraoperatively.

Guiding Device for the Patellar Cut in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Design and Validation.

An incorrect cut of the patella (kneecap) during total knee arthroplasty, affects the thickness in different quadrants of the patella, leading to pain and poor function. Because of the disadvantages of existing devices, many surgeons choose to perform the cut freehand. Given this mistrust of existing devices, a quick, but accurate, method is needed that guides the cut, without constraining the surgeon.

An intraoperative fluoroscopic method to accurately measure the post-implantation position of pedicle screws.

Purpose: Pedicle screw malplacement, leading to neurological symptoms, vascular injury, and premature implant loosening, is not uncommon and difficult to reliably detect intraoperatively with current techniques. We propose a new intraoperative post-placement pedicle screw position assessment system that can therefore allow surgeons to correct breaches during the procedure. Our objectives were to assess the accuracy and robustness of this proposed screw location system and to compare its performance to that of 2D planar radiography.

Changes in knee shape and geometry resulting from total knee arthroplasty.

Changes in knee shape and geometry resulting from total knee arthroplasty can affect patients in numerous important ways: pain, function, stability, range of motion, and kinematics. Quantitative data concerning these changes have not been previously available, to our knowledge, yet are essential to understand individual experiences of total knee arthroplasty and thereby improve outcomes for all patients. The limiting factor has been the challenge of accurately measuring these changes.

Single-camera visual odometry to track a surgical X-ray C-arm base.

This study provides a framework for a single-camera odometry system for localizing a surgical C-arm base. An application-specific monocular visual odometry system (a downward-looking consumer-grade camera rigidly attached to the C-arm base) is proposed in this research. The cumulative dead-reckoning estimation of the base is extracted based on frame-to-frame homography estimation.

Treatment of the Fixation Surface Improves Glenoid Prosthesis Longevity in vitro.

Unlabelled: Many commercial cemented glenoid components claim superior fixation designs and increased survivability. However, both research and clinical studies have shown conflicting results and it is unclear whether these design variations do improve loosening rates. Part of the difficulty in investigating fixation failure is the inability to directly observe the fixation interface, a problem addressed in this study by using a novel experimental set-up.

Validation of three-dimensional models of the distal femur created from surgical navigation point cloud data for intraoperative and postoperative analysis of total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: Despite the success of total knee arthroplasty, there continues to be a significant proportion of patients who are dissatisfied. One explanation may be a shape mismatch between pre- and postoperative distal femurs. The purpose of this study was to investigate methods suitable for matching a statistical shape model (SSM) to intraoperatively acquired point cloud data from a surgical navigation system and to validate these against the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the same patients.

Gaussian mixture models based 2D-3D registration of bone shapes for orthopedic surgery planning.

In orthopedic surgery, precise kinematics assessment helps the diagnosis and the planning of the intervention. The correct placement of the prosthetic component in the case of knee replacement is necessary to ensure a correct load distribution and to avoid revision of the implant. 3D reconstruction of the knee kinematics under weight-bearing conditions becomes fundamental to understand existing in vivo loads and improve the joint motion tracking.

Good vs Poor Results After Total Hip Arthroplasty: An Analysis Method Using Implant and Anatomic Parameters With the EOS Imaging System.

Background: Existing imaging techniques and single-parameter analyses, in nonfunctional positions, fail to detect the differences between patients with good vs poor results after total hip arthroplasty.

Methods: The present study developed an analysis method using the EOS full-body, low-dose, biplanar, weightbearing imaging system to compare good vs poor patients after total hip arthroplasty and to report on our preliminary experiences (17 good, 18 poor).

Results: All revision cases were found to have at least 4 high or low implant or anatomic parameters relative to the good group.

Changes in knee kinematics following total knee arthroplasty.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) changes the knee joint in both intentional and unintentional, known and unknown, ways. Patellofemoral and tibiofemoral kinematics play an important role in postoperative pain, function, satisfaction and revision, yet are largely unknown. Preoperative kinematics, postoperative kinematics or changes in kinematics may help identify causes of poor clinical outcome.

Accuracy of an adjustable patient-specific guide for acetabular alignment in hip replacement surgery (Optihip).

Implant malalignment in hip arthroplasty increases the risk of revision surgery due to problems such as hip instability, wear, and impingement. Traditional instrumentation lacks accuracy and does not individualize the goal. Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) and patient-specific solutions improve accuracy but add considerably to the cost, amongst other drawbacks.

Forces in spinal cannulation and breaches ex vivo.

Background: Pedicle screw insertion, to stabilize or correct the spine, relies on creating a probe path with the correct trajectory to prevent unsafe breaching of the cortical wall. Safe pedicle cannulation is aided when the surgeon can feel the difference between a safe and unsafe path. Pedicle probe forces and torques are currently unknown.

A low-cost tracked C-arm (TC-arm) upgrade system for versatile quantitative intraoperative imaging.

Purpose: C-arm fluoroscopy is frequently used in clinical applications as a low-cost and mobile real-time qualitative assessment tool. C-arms, however, are not widely accepted for applications involving quantitative assessments, mainly due to the lack of reliable and low-cost position tracking methods, as well as adequate calibration and registration techniques. The solution suggested in this work is a tracked C-arm (TC-arm) which employs a low-cost sensor tracking module that can be retrofitted to any conventional C-arm for tracking the individual joints of the device.

Kinematic differences between gender specific and traditional knee implants.

In the ongoing debate about gender-specific (GS) vs. traditional knee implants, there is limited information about patella-specific outcomes. GS femoral component features should provide better patellar tracking, but techniques have not existed previously to test this accurately.

A method for assessing joint line shift post knee arthroplasty considering the preoperative joint space.

Background: Accurate comparison of outcomes regarding various surgical options in knee arthroplasty can benefit from an improved method for joint line analysis that takes into account the preoperative joint space.

Methods: This article describes a new preoperative-based registration method that measures changes in the joint line by overlaying the 3D models of the bones with implants using preoperative CT along with preoperative and postoperative biplanar radiography. The method was tested on six cadaveric specimens for measuring alteration to the medial and lateral joint lines in extension and flexion.

Are static and dynamic kinematics comparable after total knee arthroplasty?

Knee kinematics provide information about how the femoral, tibial and patellar bones or prosthetic components move relative to each other. Accurate knowledge of kinematics is valuable for implant design, comparisons between designs or surgical techniques, and to identify differences between patients with good and poor outcomes. Both static and dynamic imaging techniques have been used to evaluate kinematics.

A multiplanar radiography method for assessing cup orientation in total hip arthroplasty.

Correct orientation of the acetabular cup considering patient-specific functional pelvic angles is an important factor for improving outcomes and avoiding complications after total hip arthroplasty. This study introduces a new, noninvasive radiographic tool for accurately determining a patient's specific pelvic tilt angle preoperatively, as well as accurately assessing acetabular cup orientation with respect to bony landmarks intraoperatively and postoperatively. The method was validated by imaging a bone replica model of the pelvis with implanted hip components, in comparison to digitized references, and verified with a cadaveric specimen.