Great Expectations with Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery: Hope or Hype?A commentary on the article 'Operator independent reliability of direct augmented reality navigated pedicle screw placement and rod bending' by Farshad et al.
Great Expectations with Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery: Hope or Hype?A commentary on the article 'Operator independent reliability of direct augmented reality navigated pedicle screw placement and rod bending' by Farshad et al.
Project description:BackgroundAugmented reality (AR) is a rising technology gaining increasing utility in medicine. By superimposing the surgical site and the operator's visual field with computer-generated information, it has the potential to enhance the cognitive skills of surgeons. This is the report of the first in man case with "direct holographic navigation" as part of a randomized controlled trial.Case descriptionA pointing instrument was equipped with a sterile fiducial marker, which was used to obtain a digital representation of the intraoperative bony anatomy of the lumbar spine. Subsequently, a previously validated registration method was applied to superimpose the surgery plan with the intraoperative anatomy. The registration result is shown in situ as a 3D AR hologram of the preoperative 3D vertebra model with the planned screw trajectory and entry point for validation and approval by the surgeon. After achieving alignment with the surgery plan, a borehole is drilled and the pedicle screw placed. Postoperativ computer tomography was used to measure accuracy of this novel method for surgical navigation.OutcomeCorrect screw positions entirely within bone were documented with a postoperative CT, with an accuracy similar to current standard of care methods for surgical navigation. The patient was mobilized uneventfully on the first postoperative day with little pain medication and dismissed on the fourth postoperative day.ConclusionThis first in man report of direct AR navigation demonstrates feasibility in vivo. The continuation of this randomized controlled study will evaluate the value of this novel technology.
Project description:To investigate the accuracy of augmented reality (AR) navigation using the Magic Leap head mounted device (HMD), pedicle screws were minimally invasively placed in four spine phantoms. AR navigation provided by a combination of a conventional navigation system integrated with the Magic Leap head mounted device (AR-HMD) was used. Forty-eight screws were planned and inserted into Th11-L4 of the phantoms using the AR-HMD and navigated instruments. Postprocedural CT scans were used to grade the technical (deviation from the plan) and clinical (Gertzbein grade) accuracy of the screws. The time for each screw placement was recorded. The mean deviation between navigation plan and screw position was 1.9 ± 0.7 mm (1.9 [0.3-4.1] mm) at the entry point and 1.4 ± 0.8 mm (1.2 [0.1-3.9] mm) at the screw tip. The angular deviation was 3.0 ± 1.4° (2.7 [0.4-6.2]°) and the mean time for screw placement was 130 ± 55 s (108 [58-437] s). The clinical accuracy was 94% according to the Gertzbein grading scale. The combination of an AR-HMD with a conventional navigation system for accurate minimally invasive screw placement is feasible and can exploit the benefits of AR in the perspective of the surgeon with the reliability of a conventional navigation system.
Project description:We evaluated the use of a part-task simulator with 3D and haptic feedback as a training tool for a common neurosurgical procedure--placement of thoracic pedicle screws.To evaluate the learning retention of thoracic pedicle screw placement on a high-performance augmented reality and haptic technology workstation.Fifty-one fellows and residents performed thoracic pedicle screw placement on the simulator. The virtual screws were drilled into a virtual patient's thoracic spine derived from a computed tomography data set of a real patient.With a 12.5% failure rate, a 2-proportion z test yielded P = .08. For performance accuracy, an aggregate Euclidean distance deviation from entry landmark on the pedicle and a similar deviation from the target landmark in the vertebral body yielded P = .04 from a 2-sample t test in which the rejected null hypothesis assumes no improvement in performance accuracy from the practice to the test sessions, and the alternative hypothesis assumes an improvement.The performance accuracy on the simulator was comparable to the accuracy reported in literature on recent retrospective evaluation of such placements. The failure rates indicated a minor drop from practice to test sessions, and also indicated a trend (P = .08) toward learning retention resulting in improvement from practice to test sessions. The performance accuracy showed a 15% mean score improvement and more than a 50% reduction in standard deviation from practice to test. It showed evidence (P = .04) of performance accuracy improvement from practice to test session.
Project description:BackgroundCement-augmentation pedicle screws have been widely used in spinal internal fixation surgery combined with osteoporosis in recent years, which can significantly improve the fixation strength, but compared with conventional methods, whether it has more advantages is still inconclusive of evidencebased medicine. To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of cement-augmented pedicle screw in the treatment of thoracolumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for studies published from the establishment of the database up until June 2023. We included studies that concerning the cement-augmented pedicle screw and the traditional pedicle screw placement for thoracolumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis. We excluded repeated publication, researches without full text, incomplete information or inability to conduct data extraction and animal experiments, case report, reviews and systematic reviews. STATA 15.1 software was used to analyze the data.ResultsA total of 12 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The sample size of patients were totally 881, of which, 492 patients in cement-augmented screw group and 389 patients in conventional screw group. Meta-analysis results showed that Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score (WMD = 1.69, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.22), intervertebral space height (WMD = 1.66, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.29) and post-operation fusion rate (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.49 to 5.25) were higher in the cement-augmented screw group than those in the conventional screw group. Operation time was longer in the cement-augmented screw group than that in the conventional screw group (WMD = 15.47, 95% CI 1.25 to 29.70). Screw loosening rate was lower in the cement-augmented screw group than those in the conventional screw group (OR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.22). However, hospitalization time, intraoperative blood loss and Visual analog scale (VAS) score were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionCompared with conventional pedicle screw placement, cement-augmented pedicle screw is more effective in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar degenerative disease by improving fusion rate and interbody height, reducing the incidence of screw loosening, and elevating long-term efficacy.
Project description:Background The incidence of cancer patients with bone metastasis is increasing annually. With the advancement of medical treatment for malignant tumors, the survival time of patients with spinal metastases is gradually being prolonged, and adjacent segment vertebral metastases often occur after conventional pedicle screw (CPS) surgery, leading to spinal instability, pain and nerve function injury again, with repeated symptoms. Combined pedicle screw fixation can maintain or reconstruct the spinal stability. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of cement-augmented fenestrated pedicle screws in the posterior approach for spinal metastases by comparing with CPS. Methods From January 2017 to August 2019, 52 patients with spinal metastases who underwent separation surgery and internal fixation via posterior approach were retrospectively enrolled. Cases were divided into the cement-augmented pedicle screw (CAPS) group (28 cases) and the CPS group (24 cases). The baseline data [age, gender, surgical sites, surgical segment, Tomita classification, Tomita score, Tokuhashi score, spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS)], surgical information, and local progression-free survival (PFS) time were compared between the two groups. Every patient was followed-up every 3 months with imaging examination. The visual analog scale (VAS) score and Frankel grade of the two groups were recorded before and 3 months after the operation were used to evaluate the efficacy. The operation time, the amount of intraoperative blood loss, the amount of bone cement injected in the pedicle screw group, and the complications of the surgery were recorded to evaluate the safety of CAPS. Results The baseline characteristics were comparable between the two group. Compared with the CPS group, the CAPS group showed significantly longer operation time (163±20 vs. 138±18 min, P<0.001) and lower VAS scores (2.93±1.33 vs. 4.17±1.34, P=0.002). Adjacent segment vertebral metastasis occurred in 10 cases (2 in the CAPS group and 8 in the CPS group, P=0.017). Internal implant failure occurred in 8 cases (1 in the CAPS group and 7 in the CPS group, P=0.011). Compared with the CPS group, the CAPS group had a significantly longer local PFS time (P<0.05). Conclusions CAPS could be a safe and effective choice in surgery for spinal metastases with the posterior approach.
Project description:Some spectacular results from genetic manipulation of laboratory rodents and increasing developments in human gene therapy raise the spectre of genetic modification or 'gene doping' in sports. Candidate targets include the induction of muscle hypertrophy through overexpression of specific splice variants of insulin-like growth factor-1 or blockade of the action of myostatin, increasing oxygen delivery by raising the hematocrit through the use of erythropoietin, induction of angiogenesis with vascular endothelial growth factors or related molecules and changes in muscle phenotype through expression of peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor- delta and associated molecules. Some of these potential genetic enhancements, particularly where the genetic modification and its action are confined to the muscles, may be undetectable using current tests. This had lead to exaggerated predictions that gene doping in athletics will be common within the next few years. However, a review of the methods of gene transfer and the current 'state of the art' in development of genetic treatments for human disease show that the prospects for gene doping remain essentially theoretical at present. Despite this conclusion, it will be important to continue to monitor improvements in the technology and to develop methods of detection, particularly those based on identifying patterns of changes in response to doping as opposed to the detection of specific agents.
Project description:Pedicle screws are one the commonest used modality in spinal instrumentation. However, the method of pedicle screw fixation in cervical spine as compared to thoracic and lumbar spine is still technically demanding because it carries the risk of catastrophic damage to the surrounding neurovascular structures We have utilized virtual planning and 3D (3-dimension) printing to develop a patient specific jig to guide the accurate placement of pedicle screws. A patient with bifacetal dislocation C7 over D1 classified as flexion-distraction injury type 3 who was planned for decompression and fusion by posterior instrumentation at C6, C7, D1 and D2 was selected. A CT scan with 1?mm cuts was used to produce DICOM images of the same. Using these DICOM images virtual planning was done on MIMICS and 3 MATICS software to create patient specific jigs. These jigs were then 3D printed using a 3D printer and used for accurate placement of pedicle screws intra-operatively after adequate sterilization. Our procedure is low cost but high technology based. It is simple, accurate, and very cost effective. The technology transfer is very easy and can be adopted easily.
Project description:BackgroundPosterior pedicle screw fixation had been applied to maintain spinal stability and avoid further nerve damage in thoracolumbar fracture. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of short-segment posterior fixation with monoaxial pedicle screws versus polyaxial pedicle screws in treating thoracolumbar fracture.MethodsA total of 75 patients with thoracolumbar fracture who underwent short-segment posterior fixation with monoaxial pedicle screw (group A) or polyaxial pedicle screw (group B) were retrospectively enrolled. The patient demographic and radiological data were analyzed between the two groups.ResultsA total of 63 patients with an average age of 44.7±11.5 years were finally recruited in this study. There were no significant differences in age, gender, fracture level, thoracolumbar injury classification and severity scale (TLISS) score, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) score, Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) classification, and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the prevertebral height ratio and normal-to-injured vertebral height ratio were significantly decreased in group A compared to group B (P=0.027 and P=0.007, respectively).ConclusionsShort-segment posterior fixation with monoaxial or polyaxial pedicle screw for fractured thoracolumbar vertebra can restore injured vertebral height. Compared with polyaxial pedicle screw, monoaxial pedicle screw endows stronger leverage which is more beneficial for restoring injured vertebral height and recovery of the damaged endplate in thoracolumbar short-segment posterior fixation.
Project description:Herein is described cortical bone trajectory (CBT), a new path for pedicle screw insertion for lumbar vertebral fusion. Because the points of insertion are under the end of the inferior articular process, and because the screws are inserted toward the lateral side, there is less soft tissue development than with the conventional technique; the CBT technique therefore enables less invasive surgery than the conventional technique. However, it has some drawbacks. For example, in the original CBT approach, the points of insertion are in the vicinity of the end of the inferior articular process. Because this joint has been destroyed in many patients who have indications for intervertebral fusion surgery, it is sometimes difficult to use it as a reference point for screw insertion location. With severe lateral slippage, the screw insertion site can become significantly dislocated sideways, with possible resultant damaging to the spinal canal and/or nerve root. The CBT technique here involved inserting the screws while keeping clear of the intervertebral foramen with the assistance of side view X-ray fluoroscopy and using the end of the inferior articular process and the isthmus as points of reference for screw location.
Project description:BackgroundAugmented reality (AR) has the potential to support complex neurosurgical interventions by including visual information seamlessly. This study examines intraoperative visualization parameters and clinical impact of AR in brain tumor surgery.MethodsFifty-five intracranial lesions, operated either with AR-navigated microscope (n = 39) or conventional neuronavigation (n = 16) after randomization, have been included prospectively. Surgical resection time, duration/type/mode of AR, displayed objects (n, type), pointer-based navigation checks (n), usability of control, quality indicators, and overall surgical usefulness of AR have been assessed.ResultsAR display has been used in 44.4% of resection time. Predominant AR type was navigation view (75.7%), followed by target volumes (20.1%). Predominant AR mode was picture-in-picture (PiP) (72.5%), followed by 23.3% overlay display. In 43.6% of cases, vision of important anatomical structures has been partially or entirely blocked by AR information. A total of 7.7% of cases used MRI navigation only, 30.8% used one, 23.1% used two, and 38.5% used three or more object segmentations in AR navigation. A total of 66.7% of surgeons found AR visualization helpful in the individual surgical case. AR depth information and accuracy have been rated acceptable (median 3.0 vs. median 5.0 in conventional neuronavigation). The mean utilization of the navigation pointer was 2.6 × /resection hour (AR) vs. 9.7 × /resection hour (neuronavigation); navigation effort was significantly reduced in AR (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe main benefit of HUD-based AR visualization in brain tumor surgery is the integrated continuous display allowing for pointer-less navigation. Navigation view (PiP) provides the highest usability while blocking the operative field less frequently. Visualization quality will benefit from improvements in registration accuracy and depth impression.German clinical trials registration numberDRKS00016955.