Application of A CT/CAD/CAE System to Preoperative Planing and Post-Operative Estimation of Vertebroplasty

摘要

The vertebroplasty is a low-invasive method for treatment that has been applied in cases of spine pathological changes. The method considerably reduces the feeling of pain and increases mechanical strength of the ill-changed vertebral bodies. The aim of the paper is to determine stiffness of vertebral bodies after vertebroplasty by means of radiological examination, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided engineering (CAE) systems. The treatment method has been verified in patients with angiomata in the lumbar spine. In a CAD system a vertebra with pathological changes has been modeled two times i. e. before operation and after the process of vertebral body filling with cement. Two patients with angiomata in L1 vertebra have been analyzed. The stiffness characteristics of vertebral bodies after cement injection show that the secondary lesion in the cement vicinity is highly unlikely, which proves the usefulness of the vertebroplasty, during which the mechanical strength of the treated vertebral body increases. The computer methods applied allow for determination of the stiffness of vertebral bodies before and after the surgery, respectively. The results obtained enable objective assessment the vertebroplasty.