Visualization Aid for Trauma Surgery

A visualization system intended specifically for use in trauma and emergency interventions allows surgeons to visualize fracture positions and orientation more precisely without cables or wires attached to specialized surgical instruments.

The system is designed to offer a more accurate repositioning of fractures and screw placement and also to facilitate new minimally invasive techniques. Radiation exposure is decreased in both patient and the operating team because of the reduced requirement for continuous fluoroscopy, says the developer, BrainLab (Redwood City, CA, USA). The system, called VectorVision, integrates with BrainLab's trauma and other software modules (cranial, ENT, hip, knee, spine, fluoro). VectorVision builds a computerized 3-D model of the patient's anatomy with diagnostic scans taken prior to surgery or integrates the fluoroscopic images of C-arms.

These images are loaded onto the VectorVision navigation system prior to surgery. By tracking the position of individual bone fragments and surgical instrumentation, the software allows the surgeon to plan and optimize fracture realignment. BrainLab says the system has application in percutaneous screw placement for injuries such as pelvic fractures or iliosacral screw fixation, as well as for fracture reductions in long bone trauma, and for spinal and spinal implant procedures such as pedicle screw placement. VectorVision has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"Our spine, hip, and knee image-guided surgery applications combine with trauma to produce the most comprehensive product range available in the orthopedic market today,” said Eric Lindquist, executive vice president of marketing at BrainLab.




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