Target registration and target positioning errors in computer-assisted neurosurgery: proposal for a standardized reporting of error assessment.
BACKGROUND
Assessment of errors is essential in development, testing and clinical application of computer-assisted neurosurgery. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive overview of the different methods to assess target registration error (TRE) and target positioning error (TPE) and to develop a proposal for a standardized reporting of error assessment.


METHODS
A PubMed research on phantom, cadaver or clinical studies on TRE and TPE has been performed. Reporting standards have been defined according to (a) study design and evaluation methods and (b) specifications of the navigation technology.


RESULTS
The proposed standardized reporting includes (a) study design (controlled, non-controlled), study type (non-anthropomorphic phantom, anthropomorphic phantom, cadaver, patient), target design, error type and subtypes, space of TPE measurement, statistics, and (b) image modality, scan parameters, tracking technology, registration procedure and targeting technique.


CONCLUSIONS
Adoption of the proposed standardized reporting may help in the understanding and comparability of different accuracy reports.
Widmann
Gerlig
G
SIP-Microinvasive Therapy, Department of Radiology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, Innsbruck, Austria. gerlig.widmann@i-med.ac.at
Stoffner
Rudolf
R
Sieb
Michael
M
Bale
Reto
R
D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012371:Robotics / Q000592:standards*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000592:standards*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000592:standards*