title: Quantification and comparison of neurosurgical approaches in the preclinical setting: literature review.
abstract: There is a growing awareness of the need for evidence-based surgery and of the issues that are specific to research in surgery. Well-conducted anatomical studies can represent the first, preclinical step for evidence-based surgical innovation and evaluation. In the last two decades, various reports have quantified and compared neurosurgical approaches in the anatomy laboratory using different methods and technology. The aim of this study was to critically review these papers. A PubMed and Scopus search was performed to select articles that quantified and compared different neurosurgical approaches in the preclinical setting. The basic characteristics that anatomically define a surgical approach were defined. Each study was analyzed for measured features and quantification method and technique. Ninety-nine papers, published from 1990 to 2013, were included in this review. A heterogeneous use of terms to define the features of a surgical approach was evident. Different methods to study these features have been reported; they are generally based on quantification of distances, angles, and areas. Measuring tools have evolved from the simple ruler to frameless stereotactic devices. The reported methods have each specific advantages and limits; a common limitation is the lack of 3D visualization and surgical volume quantification. There is a need for a uniform nomenclature in anatomical studies. Frameless stereotactic devices provide a powerful tool for anatomical studies. Volume quantification and 3D visualization of the surgical approach is not provided with most available methods.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada. francesco.doglietto@unibs.it.|Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. francesco.doglietto@unibs.it.|Division of Neurosurgery, University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili, 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy. francesco.doglietto@unibs.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Doglietto
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Radovanovic
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ravichandiran
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agur
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zadeh
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Toronto General Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Toronto General Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kucharczyk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, University of Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili, 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, UHN, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gentili
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000379:methods; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Anatomical studies; Comparison; Neurosurgical approach; Quantification; Research method