title: ASB Clinical Biomechanics Award Paper 2010 Virtual pre-operative reconstruction planning for comminuted articular fractures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Highly comminuted intra-articular fractures are complex and difficult injuries to treat. Once emergent care is rendered, the definitive treatment objective is to restore the original anatomy while minimizing surgically induced trauma. Operations that use limited or percutaneous approaches help preserve tissue vitality, but reduced visibility makes reconstruction more difficult. A pre-operative plan of how comminuted fragments would best be re-positioned to restore anatomy helps in executing a successful reduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the methods for virtually reconstructing a tibial plafond fracture were developed and applied to clinical cases. Building upon previous benchtop work, novel image analysis techniques and puzzle solving algorithms were developed for clinical application. Specialty image analysis tools were used to segment the fracture fragment geometries from CT data. The original anatomy was then restored by matching fragment native (periosteal and subchondral) bone surfaces to an intact template, generated from the uninjured contralateral limb.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Virtual reconstructions obtained for ten tibial plafond fracture cases had average alignment errors of 0.39 (0.5 standard deviation) mm. In addition to precise reduction planning, 3D puzzle solutions can help identify articular deformities and bone loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study indicate that 3D puzzle solving provides a powerful new tool for planning the surgical reconstruction of comminuted articular fractures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, 52242, USA.
authors.forename: Thaddeus P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Donald D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Pengcheng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J Lawrence
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D001363:Awards and Prizes; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000379:methods; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011300:Preoperative Care; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014584:User-Computer Interface