Image-guided navigation system for minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty (MITHA) using an improved...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Imaging
• Computer-Assisted Surgery

Background:

• Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty (MITHA) offers benefits like reduced trauma and faster recovery.
• Challenges in MITHA include limited visibility of instrument location and orientation.
• Existing navigation systems face issues like bulky markers, feature loss, and radiation exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an image-guided navigation system for MITHA to overcome limitations of current systems.
• To introduce a novel position-sensing marker for improved instrument tracking.
• To eliminate intraoperative radiation exposure during MITHA procedures.

Main Methods:

• A novel position-sensing marker with high-density, multi-fold ID tags was developed.
• The marker design allows for recognition even with obscured features, reducing confusion.
• A point-based method using anatomical landmarks was employed for patient-image registration, avoiding radiation.

Main Results:

• Instrument positioning accuracy achieved was 0.33 ± 0.18 mm.
• Patient-image registration accuracy was 0.79 ± 0.15 mm.
• The system demonstrated effectiveness in compact spaces, addressing feature loss and tracking confusion without intraoperative scans.

Conclusions:

• The proposed navigation system assists surgeons in MITHA without increasing space occupation or radiation exposure.
• The system shows significant potential for application in minimally invasive hip arthroplasty.
• It addresses key challenges, enhancing the safety and efficacy of MITHA.