An intertrochanteric osteotomy of the proximal femur is a surgical procedure which aims at realigning the proximal part of the femur (long bone of the thigh) in relation to its distal part through the removal of a bone wedge between the two fragments. In contrast to hip arthroplasty, which is a total replacement of the hip joint, intertrochanteric osteotomy is a jointsaving procedure. Indications for this kind of intervention are numerous especially among young patients, who are to be spared a total hip replacement as long as possible. Due to the complex nature of the realignment, which may involve a correction with up to six degrees of freedom (three rotations and three translations in 3D), this intervention is technically highly demanding for the surgeon. This thesis presents a novel approach to planning and performing this kind of intervention with the help of a computer-aided navigation system. The FEMOS (FEMur OSteotomy) system, which was developed for this thesis, allows the repositioning of the proximal fragment to be planned with all six degrees of freedom, based solely on two calibrated fluoroscopic images acquired intraoperatively. Using a primitive 3D model reconstructed from these images, the system determines all parameters essential for the procedure, such as the location of the planes forming the bone wedge to be excised and the position of an insertion channel for the fixation plate, with which the fragments are held together after the operation. During the interactive planning phase, the surgeon has full control over the predicted outcome of the intervention, including the effects on the biomechanical axis of the leg and the position of the plate, a visualization of which is overlaid to the fluoroscopic images. Specifying the location of the fixation plate is made especially intuitive through the use of a custom-designed tool, tracked by the localizer, which allows the surgeon to adjust this position for optimal fit directly on the bone surface. Furthermore, by using a special template system, the portion of the procedure during which position tracking is required is minimized. In particular, the critical steps of the intervention, the cutting of the excision planes and the gouging of the channel for the implant, can be performed without the tracking system. The system was evaluated in a number of in-vitro test series, including a comparison with the results obtained with the conventional operating method under identical conditions, and a test series conducted with "traditional" navigation techniques (without the special template system). The analysis of the results has shown a noticeable increase in accuracy and reproducibility when using the FEMOS system in comparison to the other methods.
«
An intertrochanteric osteotomy of the proximal femur is a surgical procedure which aims at realigning the proximal part of the femur (long bone of the thigh) in relation to its distal part through the removal of a bone wedge between the two fragments. In contrast to hip arthroplasty, which is a total replacement of the hip joint, intertrochanteric osteotomy is a jointsaving procedure. Indications for this kind of intervention are numerous especially among young patients, who are to be spared a t...
»