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Updated: Oct 11, 2026

Pioneering Patient-Specific Approaches for Precision Surgery Using Imaging and Virtual Reality
Published on: April 5, 2024
[Innovative image-based planning in musculoskeletal surgery]
Philipp Winter1, Stephan Rother2, Patrick Orth2
1Klinik für Orthopädie und Orthopädische Chirurgie, Universität des Saarlandes, Kirrberger Str. 100, 66421, Homburg, Deutschland. philipp.winter@uks.eu.
Background:
For the preparation of surgical procedures in orthopedics and trauma surgery, precise knowledge of imaging and the three-dimensional imagination of the surgeon are of outstanding importance. Image-based, preoperative two-dimensional planning is the gold standard in arthroplasty today. In complex cases, further imaging such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging is also performed, generating a three-dimensional model of the body region and helping the surgeon in the planning of the surgical treatment. Four-dimensional, dynamic CT studies have also been reported and are available as a complementary tool.
Digital Aids:
Furthermore, digital aids should generate an improved representation of the pathology to be treated and optimize the surgeon's imagination. The finite element method allows patient-specific and implant-specific parameters to be taken into account in preoperative surgical planning. Intraoperatively, relevant information can be provided by augmented reality without significantly influencing the surgical workflow.