title: Computer-aided surgery in the petrous bone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We demonstrate that computer-assisted frameless stereotactic navigation with the ISG/ELEKTA Viewing Wand system in the petrous bone is routinely possible with sufficient application accuracy.
  
  
  METHODS
  High-resolution computed tomography imaging is done with a dedicated structure attached to the mouthpiece of the Vogele-Bale-Hohner (VBH) head holder, an integral part of our intraoperative patient fixation. The patient image registration can be reliably performed before surgery in an unsterile environment with the registration structure of the mouthpiece. For intraoperative navigation either the position-sensitive articulated arm or the optical three-dimensional digitizer of the ISG/ELEKTA system is used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the operations of the petrous bone performed so far, i.e., mastoidectomy, cholesteatoma surgery, and lateral skull base revision surgery, the clinical value of three-dimensional navigation was clearly demonstrated with an application accuracy, constant throughout surgery, mostly limited only by the resolution of the computed tomography.
authors.affiliation: ENT Clinic, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gunkel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vogele
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bale
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Thumfart
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Freysinger
mesh_terms: D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000601:surgery*; D005402:Fistula / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D019291:Skull Base / Q000601:surgery; D012984:Software; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000601:surgery