Surgical navigation based on fluoroscopy--clinical application for computer-assisted distal locking of intramedullary implants.
OBJECTIVE
Fluoroscopy is used to guide surgical instruments during orthopedic procedures. Radiation exposure and lack of spatial information are drawbacks of this method. Improvements are expected when fluoroscopy-based surgical navigation is used for intraoperative guidance, e.g., in computer-assisted distal locking of intramedullary implants.


METHODS
The method was applied to 42 interlocking procedures during implantation of the short proximal femoral nail in 27 patients with pertrochanteric femoral fractures. Precision of interlocking, exposure time, operating time, and number of personnel required for computer-assisted distal locking were recorded.


RESULTS
One misplaced interlocking screw was observed (2.3%), and contact between the drill bit and the nail during drilling was noticed in 8 cases (19%). The average exposure time was 16 seconds (range 4-42 seconds), and the procedure took an average of 43 min (range 20-70 min). The number of persons required for computer-assisted distal locking was reduced from three to one within the course of the study.


CONCLUSIONS
Fluoroscopy-based surgical navigation provided precise intraoperative guidance for computer-assisted distal locking with minimal use of fluoroscopy. The complex system and related procedure times may be drawbacks in this application. Clinical studies are underway to define implants and surgical procedures where intraoperative guidance by fluoroscopy-based surgical navigation is beneficial for the patient and/or surgeon.
Suhm
N
N
Department of Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. nsuhm@web.de
Jacob
A L
AL
Nolte
L P
LP
Regazzoni
P
P
Messmer
P
P
D003198:Computer Simulation; D003199:Computer Systems; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014584:User-Computer Interface