Pre-operative Planning and Intra-operative Guidance for Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Abstract

Shoulder joint replacement, or arthroplasty, is indicated in cases where arthritis or trauma has resulted in severe joint damage that in turn causes increased pain and decreased function. However, shoulder arthroplasty is less successful than hip and knee replacement, mostly due to the complexity of the shoulder joint and the resultant complexity of the replacement operation. 

In this paper we present a complete visualization-oriented pre-operative planning and intra-operative guidance approach for shoulder joint replacement.  Our system assists the surgeon by allowing a virtual arthroplasty procedure whilst giving feedback, primarily via patient- and procedure-specific joint range of motion (ROM) simulation and visualization.  After a successful planning, our system automatically generates a 3D model of a patient-specific mechanical guidance device that is then produced by a rapid prototyping machine and can be used during the operation.  In this way, a computer-based guidance system is not required in the operating room.