Surgical GPS Proof of Concept for Scoliosis Surgery

Scoliotic deformities may be addressed with either anterior or posterior approaches for scoliosis correction procedures. While typically quite invasive, the impact of these operations may be reduced through the use of computer-assisted surgery. A combination of physician-designated anatomical landmarks and surgical ontologies allows for real-time intraoperative guidance during computer-assisted surgical interventions. Predetermined landmarks are labeled on an identical patient model, which seeks to encompass vertebrae, intervertebral disks, ligaments, and other soft tissues. The inclusion of this anatomy permits the consideration of hypothetical forces that are previously not well characterized in a patient-specific manner. Updated ontologies then suggest procedural directions throughout the surgical corridor, observing the positioning of both the physician and the anatomical landmarks of interest at the present moment. Merging patient-specific models, physician-designated landmarks, and ontologies to produce real-time recommendations magnifies the successful outcome of scoliosis correction through enhanced pre-surgical planning, reduced invasiveness, and shorted recovery time