I can C clearly now the rail has gone!

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate intra-operative imaging is crucial for successful orthopaedic pelvic surgery, including fracture reduction and osteotomy.
• Standard C-arm fluoroscopy is commonly used but can be limited by radiopaque materials on operating tables, obscuring critical views.
• Metal rails on operating tables often impede obtaining necessary oblique views during pelvic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the limitations of C-arm fluoroscopy in orthopaedic pelvic surgery.
• To develop a practical solution for achieving unobstructed intra-operative radiological assessment of the pelvis.
• To improve the precision of fracture reduction and osteotomy positioning through enhanced imaging.

Main Methods:

• Development of a unique 360-degree radiolucent operating table.
• Construction involved placing a sheet of Perspex material between two standard operating tables.
• This design aimed to eliminate interference from radiopaque table components.

Main Results:

• The novel radiolucent table design successfully eliminated imaging obstructions.
• Perfect radiological exposure of the pelvis in all planes was achieved.
• This facilitated accurate intra-operative assessment, crucial for complex pelvic surgeries.

Conclusions:

• The developed radiolucent table provides a practical and effective solution to imaging challenges in orthopaedic pelvic surgery.
• This innovation enhances the ability to obtain clear pelvic images in all planes, improving surgical accuracy.
• The Perspex-based design offers a significant advancement for intra-operative fluoroscopy in orthopaedic procedures.