The influence of computed tomography motion artifacts on computer-assisted surgery

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Surgical navigation
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Background:

• Motion artifacts in computed tomography (CT) scans can compromise the accuracy of image-guided interventions.
• Maintaining isometric representation in tomographic images is vital for precise surgical planning and execution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of typical motion artifacts on markerless laser registration precision.
• To identify quality factors for evaluating the isometry of CT datasets in image-guided surgery.

Main Methods:

• Markerless registration was performed on 20 patients, with precision assessed using intraoral markers.
• Simulated motion artifacts were applied to the CT datasets to evaluate registration precision on a navigation workstation.
• The Surgical Segment Navigator SSN++ system was utilized for the analysis.

Main Results:

• Motion artifacts degraded average patient registration accuracy, increasing it by 1 to 4 mm.
• Identified quality factors for CT dataset isometry include the volume between preoperative CT and intraoperative laser scan datasets, and normal vector orientation in 3D reconstructions.

Conclusions:

• Ensuring CT dataset isometry is essential before computer-assisted surgical interventions.
• Non-isometric datasets lead to inaccuracies in patient registration and navigation, potentially affecting surgical outcomes.