Image Guided System for Orthopaedic Surgery

This project focuses on the further development and clinical testing of an image-guided surgical system. The system will help surgeons perform procedures that involve inserting a screw, guide pin, drill bit, or other straight object into bone-for example, inserting screws in a broken hip bone. These surgeries are currently done with the help of a mobile x-ray device called a C-arm, which provides the surgeon with x-ray images during the procedure. C-arms have some disadvantages, including image distortion, radiation exposure, and the need for time-consuming adjustments of the C-arm during the surgery. The new method would deal with these shortcomings with a computer-based system that adds to the existing C-arm system. It would provide the surgeon with a real-time view of the insertion process, and could improve the accuracy and speed of certain surgical procedures. Disadvantages associated with C-arms include image distortion, radiation exposure, and time consuming reconfiguration of the C-arm during the insertion process. The proposed system would address these shortcomings with a computer-based system that augments the existing C-arm system.