Intra-operative 3D imaging system for robot-assisted fracture manipulation

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Medical imaging
• Robotics

Background:

• Precise anatomical alignment of bone fragments is critical for effective fracture healing.
• Current 2D imaging technologies limit intra-operative assessment of fracture reduction, particularly for complex joint fractures.
• Percutaneous techniques offer benefits but require accurate pre-operative planning and intra-operative guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a 3D imaging system for intra-operative virtual reduction of joint fractures.
• To integrate real-time tracking of bone fragments with a virtual 3D model for surgical planning.
• To enable robotic execution of physically reduced fractures based on virtual manipulation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 3D imaging system capable of receiving and segmenting CT scan data.
• Generation of 3D bone fragment models displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI).
• Integration of an optical tracker for real-time pose tracking of bone fragments and virtual environment synchronization.
• Utilization of a robotic manipulator for executing physical reductions guided by the virtual environment.

Main Results:

• The system successfully generated 3D models from CT data and displayed them on a GUI.
• Real-time tracking enabled accurate mapping of physical bone fragment poses to the virtual environment.
• Experimental evaluation demonstrated high reduction accuracy: 1.04 ± 0.69 mm (translational RMSE) and 0.89 ± 0.71 ° (rotational RMSE).

Conclusions:

• The developed 3D imaging system provides a viable solution for intra-operative virtual reduction of joint fractures.
• The integration of virtual planning with robotic execution enhances the precision of fracture reduction.
• This technology has the potential to improve surgical outcomes and patient recovery in orthopedic trauma care.