The impact of computer and imaging technology on stereotactic surgery

Computers, particularly medical imaging techniques, have created a renaissance in stereotactic surgery. Human stereotaxis was primarily developed and performed beginning in the 1940s for functional disorders. Interest waned in the 1960s following the introduction of L-dopa until computer-based three-dimensionally precise tomographic modalities (specifically computed tomography) were introduced beginning in the mid-1970s as a routine diagnostic aid. New image-compatible hardware and instrumentation were introduced along with techniques and associated software for relating points and volumes appearing on these diagnostic images into stereotactic space. This paper reviews the computer and imaging technology that has led to this renaissance and discusses some of the important features of a computer-interactive stereotactic system.