Accuracy Analysis of an Image-Guided System for Vertebroplasty Spinal Therapy based on Electromagnetic Tracking of Instruments

摘要

Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure in which bone cement is pumped into a fractured vertebral body that has been weakened by osteoporosis, long-term steroid use, or cancer. In this therapy, a trocar (large bore hollow needle) is inserted through the pedicle of the vertebral body which is a narrow passage and requires great skill on the part of the physician to avoid going outside of the pathway. In clinical practice, this procedure is typically done using 2D X-ray fluoroscopy. To investigate the feasibility of providing 3D image guidance, we developed an image-guided system based on electromagnetic tracking and our open source software platform the Image-Guided Surgery Toolkit (IGSTK). The system includes path planning, interactive 3D navigation, and dynamic referencing. This paper will describe the system and our initial evaluation.