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Peter Messmer

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Messmer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Modality-based navigation.

Modality-based navigation (MBN) means the interactive tracking of instruments in a co-ordinate system defined by an imaging modality, eg, CT, MR, or a fluoroscope. During the registration process, a transformation matrix between the two co-ordinate systems of the digitizer and imaging modality is calculated. Navigation can start immediately after collection of the images without an intraprocedural registration process. Since the imaging modality belongs to the OR or the intervention suite, image update can be performed at any time. Following a step-by-step procedure with navigation and image update in a reasonable sequence, the risk for a virtual-real mismatch is minimized. For CT-MBN, we obtained a freehand absolute positioning accuracy of 1.9+/-1.1 mm in vitro. The in vivo freehand absolute positioning accuracy in pelvic fracture fixation was determined to be 3.1 mm (unpublished data). From our point of view, modality-based navigation is an efficient and safe alternative tool for computer aided interventions.

Fluoroscopy↗

Which navigation when?

If a surgeon is considering purchasing a navigation system, several factors have to be evaluated including, the planned applications, the equipment already installed, and the specific knowledge of the surgeon. For use in traumatology, fluoroscopy and more specifically 3-D fluoro-based computer guidance is preferable. These technologies are based on intraoperative acquired arbitrary images in contrast to CT-based techniques, which refer to preoperative acquired images that represent a so called "cannel reality". However, image quality has to be considered as fluoro-picture quality depending on the anatomical area (eg long bones, spine, pelvis) and body mass index. CT-based navigation provides better image quality and accuracy but is not able to visualize reduction processes. Therefore personal experience in courses or by on-site teaching is recommended prior taking the decision.

Fluoroscopy↗

Clinical applications--pelvis.

Navigation procedures based on CT data were introduced into spinal surgery in 1994. Since then, the method has been used in other areas such as joint replacement, reconstructive surgery, and tumor surgery because of its high precision and reduced radiation exposure. The original CT-based spine module can be adjusted for pelvic surgery with the prerequisite that the positioning of the fragments is identical in CT and in the OR; otherwise a new dataset has to be acquired. Our experiences with CT-based navigation in pelvic surgery are explained on five percutaneous screw fixations and three tumor resections, including description of the technique. For modality-based navigation, the navigated procedure is performed in the CT suite with the advantage of immediate CT control of reduction quality and screw positioning. The technique is explained and illustrated on two cases. Fluoroscopy-based navigation has been used in trauma surgery since the late nineties. Since then, the method has been wide spread in the field of joint replacement and reconstructive surgery. Between June 2000 and December 2002, we performed 36 percutaneous screw fixations in the pelvis with postoperative x-ray and CT control. 35 of the 36 screws were placed correctly. In one screw, an anterior cortex perforation of the sacrum was seen in the CT without any neurological consequences. The Iso C 3-D fluoroscope has recently been approved for pelvic surgery. With the ability to reconstruct images, visualization of the acetabulum and the posterior pelvic ring, there is marked an improvement compare to conventional 2-D fluoroscopy. Thus, the field for navigation is also enhanced. Based on our clinical experiences, the indications for navigated techniques in pelvic and acetabular surgery are defined and illustrated.

Adult↗

The MEPUC concept adapts the C-arm fluoroscope to image-guided surgery.

Image-guided surgery requires surgeons to be able to manipulate the imaging modality themselves and without delay. Intraoperative fluoroscopic imaging does not meet this requirement as the C-arm fluoroscope cannot be operated or positioned by the surgeons themselves. The Motorized Exact Positioning Unit for C-arm (MEPUC) concept aims to optimize the workflow of positioning the C-arm fluoroscope. The hardware component of the MEPUC equips the fluoroscope with electric stepping motors. The software component allows the surgeon to control the fluoroscope's movements. The study presented here showed that translational movements within the x-y plane are most frequently performed when positioning the C-arm fluoroscope. Furthermore, reproducing a former projection was found to be a frequent task during image-guided procedures. In our opinion, the MEPUC concept adapts the fluoroscope to image-guided surgery. The most important improvement being definition of a bidirectional data exchange between the surgeon and the C-arm fluoroscope: positioning data from the surgeon to the C-arm fluoroscope and-subsequently-image information from C-arm fluoroscope to the surgeon.

Femoral Fractures↗

Fluoroscopic guidance versus surgical navigation for distal locking of intramedullary implants. A prospective, controlled clinical study.

A prospective controlled clinical study was performed to compare fluoroscopic guidance with fluoroscopy-based surgical navigation for distal locking of intramedullary implants. Forty-two patients with fractures of the lower extremity treated by intramedullary nailing were divided in two groups: distal locking either with fluoroscopic guidance (group I) or with surgical navigation (group II). The average fluoroscopic time to insert one interlocking screw with fluoroscopic guidance was 108 s compared with 7.3s in the navigation group. The average procedure time to insert one interlocking screw in group I was 13.7 min compared with 17.9 min in group II. The drill bit failed to pass through the interlocking hole in one patient from group II. There was no significant difference in the technical reliability between both groups. Fluoroscopic times to achieve equivalent precision are reduced with fluoroscopy-based surgical navigation compared with fluoroscopic guidance. Fluoroscopy-based surgical navigation is recommended for intraoperative guidance in situations where reduction of exposure to radiation is considered advantageous over the increase of procedure time.

Female↗

A faster method for 3D/2D medical image registration--a simulation study.

3D/2D patient-to-computed-tomography (CT) registration is a method to determine a transformation that maps two coordinate systems by comparing a projection image rendered from CT to a real projection image. Iterative variation of the CT's position between rendering steps finally leads to exact registration. Applications include exact patient positioning in radiation therapy, calibration of surgical robots, and pose estimation in computer-aided surgery. One of the problems associated with 3D/2D registration is the fact that finding a registration includes solving a minimization problem in six degrees of freedom (dof) in motion. This results in considerable time requirements since for each iteration step at least one volume rendering has to be computed. We show that by choosing an appropriate world coordinate system and by applying a 2D/2D registration method in each iteration step, the number of iterations can be grossly reduced from n6 to n5. Here, n is the number of discrete variations around a given coordinate. Depending on the configuration of the optimization algorithm, this reduces the total number of iterations necessary to at least 1/3 of it's original value. The method was implemented and extensively tested on simulated x-ray images of a tibia, a pelvis and a skull base. When using one projective image and a discrete full parameter space search for solving the optimization problem, average accuracy was found to be 1.0 +/- 0.6(degrees) and 4.1 +/- 1.9 (mm) for a registration in six parameters, and 1.0 +/- 0.7(degrees) and 4.2 +/- 1.6 (mm) when using the 5 + 1 dof method described in this paper. Time requirements were reduced by a factor 3.1. We conclude that this hardware-independent optimization of 3D/2D registration is a step towards increasing the acceptance of this promising method for a wide number of clinical applications.

Algorithms↗