A Handheld, Portable Image-Based System May Outperform Computer Navigation or Robotic Platforms in Providing Accurate...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Navigation Technology

Background:

• Acetabular component malposition is a significant cause of complications and revision in total hip arthroplasty (THA).
• Robotic-assisted THA aims to improve component positioning accuracy, with reported success rates over 92% within 10° of target inclination and anteversion.
• Evaluating alternative navigation systems for THA accuracy is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the intraoperative accuracy of a handheld, portable navigation system for acetabular component positioning in THA.
• To compare the navigation system's intraoperative output with postoperative computed tomography (CT) findings.

Main Methods:

• 108 direct anterior approach THA surgeries were analyzed over six months.
• Intraoperative inclination and anteversion values from the handheld navigation system were recorded.
• These intraoperative values were compared to measurements obtained from postoperative CT scans.

Main Results:

• 97.22% of acetabular components were within 5° of the intraoperative inclination target.
• 94.44% of components were within 5° of the intraoperative anteversion target.
• 100% of components were within 8° of intraoperative values for both inclination and anteversion, as confirmed by CT.

Conclusions:

• The handheld portable navigation system provides highly accurate intraoperative acetabular component positioning during THA.
• This technology's accuracy, confirmed by CT scans, may surpass that of some robotic-assisted THA systems.
• The accessibility and portability of this system offer potential for improved accuracy in various surgical settings for THA.