Primary and metastatic liver tumors constitute a significant challenge for contemporary medicine. Several improvements are currently being developed and implemented to advance image navigation systems for percutaneous liver focal lesion ablation in clinical applications at the diagnosis, planning and intervention stages. First, the automatic generation of an anatomically accurate parametric model of the preoperative patient liver was proposed in addition to a method to visually evaluate and make manual corrections. Second, a marker was designed to facilitate rigid registration between the model of the preoperative patient liver and the patient during treatment. A specific approach was implemented and tested for rigid mapping by continuously tracking a set of uniquely identified markers and by accounting for breathing motion, facilitating the determination of the optimal breathing phase for needle insertion into the liver tissue. Third, to overcome the challenge of tracking the absolute position of the planned target point, an intra-operative ultrasound (US) system was integrated based on the Public Software Library for UltraSound and OpenIGTLink protocol, which tracks breathing motion in a 2D time sequence of US images. Additionally, to improve the visibility of liver focal lesions, an approach to determine spatio-temporal correspondence between the US sequence and the 4D computed tomography (CT) examination was developed, implemented and tested. This proposed method of processing anatomical model, rigid registration approach and the implemented US tracking and fusion method were tested in 20 anonymized CT and in 10 clinical cases, respectively. The presented methodology can be applied and used with any older 2D US systems, which are currently commonly used in clinical practice.

This study describes computer simulation of blood flow and plaque progression pattern in a patient who underwent surgical treatment for infected carotid prosthetic tube graft using carotid-carotid cross-over bypass. The 3D blood flow is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations, together with the continuity equation. Mass transfer within the blood lumen and through the arterial wall is coupled with the blood flow and is modelled by the convection-diffusion equation. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) transport in lumen of the vessel is described by Kedem-Katchalsky equations. The inflammatory process is solved using three additional reaction-diffusion partial differential equations. Calculation based on a computer simulation showed that flow distribution in the left carotid artery (CA) was around 40-50% of the total flow in the right common CA. Also, the left CA had higher pressure gradient after surgical intervention. Plaque progression simulation predicted development of the atherosclerotic plaque in the position of the right common CA and the left internal CA. A novel way of atherosclerotic plaque progression modelling using computer simulation shows a potential clinical benefit with significant impact on the treatment strategy optimization.

This study evaluated the influence of intra-operative soft tissue balance on post-operative range of motion in patients undergoing posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty with navigation. After implantation of all components in 31 consecutive patients, the joint component gap was measured manually with the knee at 0°, 90°, and 120° as guided by a navigation system. We designated soft tissue balance as the absolute difference between varus stress and valgus stress (medio-lateral laxity). Changes in medio-lateral laxity were calculated from 120° to 90°, 120° to 0°, and 90° to 0°. Correlations among post-operative flexion angles and pre-operative flexion angles, intra-operative flexion angle after implantation, soft tissue balance, and the changes were analyzed. The mean pre- and post-operative knee flexion angles were 114 ± 20° and 127 ± 9°, respectively. The mean intra-operative flexion angle was 137 ± 6°. The post-operative flexion angle was positively correlated with the pre-operative flexion angle and intra-operative flexion angle after implantation. The change in soft tissue balance between 120° and 90° showed a positive correlation with the post-operative flexion angle. In conclusion, Assessment of intra-operative soft tissue balance could predict post-operative flexion angle.

Optimal component alignment in total knee arthroplasty has been associated with better functional outcome as well as improved implant longevity. The ability to align components optimally during minimally invasive (MIS) total knee replacement (TKR) has been a cause of concern. Computer navigation is a useful aid in achieving the desired alignment although it is limited by the error during the manual registration of landmarks. Our study aims to compare the registration process error between a standard and a MIS surgical approach. We hypothesized that performing the registration error via an MIS approach would increase the registration process error. Five fresh frozen lower limbs were routinely prepared and draped. The registration process was performed through an MIS approach. This was then extended to the standard approach and the registration was performed again. Two surgeons performed the registration process five times with each approach. Performing the registration process through the MIS approach was not associated with higher error compared to the standard approach in the alignment parameters of interest. This rejects our hypothesis. Image-free navigated MIS TKR does not appear to carry higher risk of component malalignment due to the registration process error. Navigation can be used during MIS TKR to improve alignment without reduced accuracy due to the approach.

Resection of a pelvic tumor is challenging because of its complex three-dimensional (3D) anatomy and deep-seated location with nearby vital structures. The resection is technically demanding if a custom implant is used for reconstruction of the bone defect as the surgeon needs to ensure the resection margin is sufficiently wide and the orientation of intended resection planes must match that of the custom implant. We describe a novel workflow of performing a partial acetabular resection in a patient with pelvic chondrosarcoma and reconstruction with a custom pelvic implant in a one-step operation. A multi-planar bone resection was virtually planned. A computer-aided design implant that both matched the bone defect and biomechanically evaluated was prefabricated with 3D printing technology. The 3D-printed patient-specific instruments (PSIs) were used to reproduce the same planned resection. The histology of the tumor specimen showed a clear resection margin. The errors of the achieved resection and implant position were deviating (1-4 mm) from the planned. The patient could walk unaided with a good hip function. No tumor recurrence and implant loosening were noted at 11 months after surgery. The use of this novel CT-based method for surgical planning, the engineering software for implant design and validation, together with 3D printing technology for implant and PSI fabrication makes it possible to generate a personalized, biomechanically evaluated implant for accurate reconstruction after a pelvic tumor resection in a one-step operation. Further study in a larger population is needed to assess the clinical efficacy of the workflow in complex bone tumor surgery.

Computer models capable of predicting elbow flexion and extension range of motion (ROM) limits would be useful for assisting surgeons in improving the outcomes of surgical treatment of patients with elbow contractures. A simple and robust computer-based model was developed that predicts elbow joint ROM using bone geometries calculated from computed tomography image data. The model assumes a hinge-like flexion-extension axis, and that elbow passive ROM limits can be based on terminal bony impingement. The model was validated against experimental results with a cadaveric specimen, and was able to predict the flexion and extension limits of the intact joint to 0° and 3°, respectively. The model was also able to predict the flexion and extension limits to 1° and 2°, respectively, when simulated osteophytes were inserted into the joint. Future studies based on this approach will be used for the prediction of elbow flexion-extension ROM in patients with primary osteoarthritis to help identify motion-limiting hypertrophic osteophytes, and will eventually permit real-time computer-assisted navigated excisions.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been shown to be of clinical value in imaging basal cell carcinoma (BCC). A novel dual OCT-video imaging system, providing automated registration of OCT and dermoscopy, has been developed to assess the potential of OCT in measuring the degree of sub-clinical spread of BCC. Seventeen patients selected for Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for BCC were recruited to the study. The extent of BCC infiltration beyond a segment of the clinically assessed pre-surgical border was evaluated using OCT. Sufficiently accurate (<0.5 mm) registration of OCT and dermoscopy images was achieved in 9 patients. The location of the OCT-assessed BCC border was also compared with that of the final surgical defect. Infiltration of BCC across the clinical border ranged from 0 mm to >2.5 mm. In addition, the OCT border lay between 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm inside the final MMS defect in those cases where this could be assessed. In one case, where the final MMS defect was over 17 mm from the clinical border, OCT showed >2.5 mm infiltration across the clinical border at the FOV limit. These results provide evidence that OCT allows more accurate assessment of sub-clinical spread of BCC than clinical observation alone. Such a capability may have clinical value in reducing the number of surgical stages in MMS for BCC. There may also be a role for OCT in aiding the selection of patients most suitable for MMS.

Non-invasive surface registration methods have been developed to register and track breathing motions in a patient's abdomen and thorax. We evaluated several different registration methods, including marker tracking using a stereo camera, chessboard image projection, and abdominal point clouds. Our point cloud approach was based on a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor that tracked the abdominal surface. We tested different respiratory phases using additional markers as landmarks for the extension of the non-rigid Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm to improve the matching of irregular meshes. Four variants for retrieving the correspondence data were implemented and compared. Our evaluation involved 9 healthy individuals (3 females and 6 males) with point clouds captured in opposite breathing phases (i.e., inhalation and exhalation). We measured three factors: surface distance, correspondence distance, and marker error. To evaluate different methods for computing the correspondence measurements, we defined the number of correspondences for every target point and the average correspondence assignment error of the points nearest the markers.