A new approach to computer guidance in orthopedic surgery using real time volume rendering

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the ability of a new real time volume rendering system using raw unprocessed CT data on a four processor Pentium PC. A CT data set of the pelvic area was used to demonstrate the systems ability to integrate and visualize both data from a CT scan and a tracking system. The computer system consisted of a four processor Pentium PC and the software tool VGInsight (Volume Graphics GmbH). For study purposes in a laboratory setting a magnetic tracking system (Polemus Inc.) was used to simulate tracked surgical tools. With this new software tool and the tracking system the exact relative location of a tracked instrument within all structures of the pelvic area, soft tissue as well as bone, could be displayed in 3D and real time without preprocessing of the data set. Until recently real time volume rendering required expensive workstations. With a new software tool on a four processor Pentium PC the authors were able to introduce a 3D real time processed data supply to the surgeon.