Name: augmented reality navigation-guided core decompression for osteonecrosis of femoral head
Uploaded: 2022-04-12T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Augmented Reality Navigation-Guided Core Decompression for Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head at JoVE.com

This work was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation(7202183), National Natural Science Foundation of China(81972107), and Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission(D171100003217001).

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital (approval number: 2021-12-K04). All of the following steps were performed according to standardized procedures to avoid injury to the patients and the surgeons. Informed patient consent was obtained for this study. The surgeon must be skilled in conventional core decompression procedures to ensure that the surgery can be performed in a traditional way in case of inaccurate navigation or other unexpected situations.
<p class="jove_t...

<ol>
	<li>Cohen-Rosenblum, A., Cui, Q. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head.">Osteonecrosis of the femoral head.</a> Orthopedic Clinics of North America. 50 (2), 139-149 (2019).</li><li>Migliorini, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prognostic+factors+in+the+management+of+osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head:+A+systematic+review.">Prognostic factors in the management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head: A systematic review.</a> The Surgeon: journal of the Royal Colleges of surgeons of Edinburgh and Ireland. (21), 00199 (2022).</li><li>Mont, M. A., Jones, L. C., Hungerford, D. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nontraumatic+osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head:+ten+years+later.">Nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head: ten years later.</a> The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume. 88 (5), 1117-1132 (2006).</li><li>Wang, L., Tian, X., Li, K., Liu, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Combination+use+of+core+decompression+for+osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head:+A+systematic+review+and+meta-analysis+using+Forest+and+Funnel+Plots.">Combination use of core decompression for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: A systematic review and meta-analysis using Forest and Funnel Plots.</a> Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine. , 1284149 (2021).</li><li>Hua, K. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+efficacy+and+safety+of+core+decompression+for+the+treatment+of+femoral+head+necrosis:+a+systematic+review+and+meta-analysis.">The efficacy and safety of core decompression for the treatment of femoral head necrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.</a> Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 14 (1), 306 (2019).</li><li>Ganz, R., Krushell, R. J., Jakob, R. P., K&#252;ffer, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+antishock+pelvic+clamp.">The antishock pelvic clamp.</a> Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 267, 71-78 (1991).</li><li>Yoshikawa, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Training+with+hybrid+assistive+limb+for+walking+function+after+total+knee+arthroplasty.">Training with hybrid assistive limb for walking function after total knee arthroplasty.</a> Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 13 (1), 163 (2018).</li><li>Wu, C. T., Yen, S. H., Lin, P. C., Wang, J. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Long-term+outcomes+of+Phemister+bone+grafting+for+patients+with+non-traumatic+osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head.">Long-term outcomes of Phemister bone grafting for patients with non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head.</a> International Orthopaedics. 43 (3), 579-587 (2019).</li><li>Mont, M. A., Marulanda, G. A., Seyler, T. M., Plate, J. F., Delanois, R. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Core+decompression+and+nonvascularized+bone+grafting+for+the+treatment+of+early+stage+osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head.">Core decompression and nonvascularized bone grafting for the treatment of early stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head.</a> Instructional Course Lectures. 56, 213-220 (2007).</li><li>Wang, W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Patient-specific+core+decompression+surgery+for+early-stage+ischemic+necrosis+of+the+femoral+head.">Patient-specific core decompression surgery for early-stage ischemic necrosis of the femoral head.</a> PLoS One. 12 (5), 0175366 (2017).</li><li>Hoffmann, M. F., Khoriaty, J. D., Sietsema, D. L., Jones, C. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Outcome+of+intramedullary+nailing+treatment+for+intertrochanteric+femoral+fractures.">Outcome of intramedullary nailing treatment for intertrochanteric femoral fractures.</a> Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 14 (1), 360 (2019).</li><li>Dennler, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Augmented+reality-based+navigation+increases+precision+of+pedicle+screw+insertion.">Augmented reality-based navigation increases precision of pedicle screw insertion.</a> Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 15 (1), 174 (2020).</li><li>Yonezawa, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Low-grade+myofibroblastic+sarcoma+of+the+levator+scapulae+muscle:+a+case+report+and+literature+review.">Low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma of the levator scapulae muscle: a case report and literature review.</a> BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 21 (1), 836 (2020).</li><li>Tsukada, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Augmented+reality-+vs+accelerometer-based+portable+navigation+system+to+improve+the+accuracy+of+acetabular+cup+placement+during+total+hip+arthroplasty+in+the+lateral+decubitus+position.">Augmented reality- vs accelerometer-based portable navigation system to improve the accuracy of acetabular cup placement during total hip arthroplasty in the lateral decubitus position.</a> The Journal of Arthroplasty. 37 (3), 488-494 (2021).</li><li>Raymond, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pharmacogenetics+of+direct+oral+anticoagulants:+a+systematic+review.">Pharmacogenetics of direct oral anticoagulants: a systematic review.</a> Journal of Personalized Medicine. 11 (1), 37 (2021).</li><li>Bhatt, F. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Augmented+reality-assisted+spine+surgery:+an+early+experience+demonstrating+safety+and+accuracy+with+218+screws.">Augmented reality-assisted spine surgery: an early experience demonstrating safety and accuracy with 218 screws.</a> Global Spine Journal. , (2022).</li><li>Weiss, H. R., Nan, X., Potts, M. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Is+there+an+indication+for+surgery+in+patients+with+spinal+deformities?+-+A+critical+appraisal.">Is there an indication for surgery in patients with spinal deformities? - A critical appraisal.</a> The South African Journal of Physiotherapy. 77 (2), 1569 (2021).</li><li>Boontanapibul, K., Amanatullah, D. F., Huddleston, J. I., Maloney, W. J., Goodman, S. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Outcomes+of+cemented+total+knee+arthroplasty+for+secondary+osteonecrosis+of+the+knee.">Outcomes of cemented total knee arthroplasty for secondary osteonecrosis of the knee.</a> The Journal of Arthroplasty. 36 (2), 550-559 (2021).</li><li>Bakircioglu, S., Atilla, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hip+preserving+procedures+for+osteonecrosis+of+the+femoral+head+after+collapse.">Hip preserving procedures for osteonecrosis of the femoral head after collapse.</a> J Clin Orthop Trauma. 23, 101636 (2021).</li><li>Ma, H. Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Core+decompression+with+local+administration+of+zoledronate+and+enriched+bone+marrow+mononuclear+cells+for+treatment+of+non-traumatic+osteonecrosis+of+femoral+head.">Core decompression with local administration of zoledronate and enriched bone marrow mononuclear cells for treatment of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head.</a> Orthopaedic Surgery. 13 (6), 1843-1852 (2021).</li><li>Hu, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Comparison+of+intramedullary+nailing+and+plate+fixation+in+distal+tibial+fractures+with+metaphyseal+damage:+a+meta-analysis+of+randomized+controlled+trials.">Comparison of intramedullary nailing and plate fixation in distal tibial fractures with metaphyseal damage: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.</a> Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 14 (1), 30 (2019).</li><li>Pierannunzii, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Endoscopic+and+arthroscopic+assistance+in+femoral+head+core+decompression.">Endoscopic and arthroscopic assistance in femoral head core decompression.</a> Arthroscopy Techniques. 1 (2), 225-230 (2012).</li><li>Salas, A. P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hip+arthroscopy+and+core+decompression+for+avascular+necrosis+of+the+femoral+head+using+a+specific+aiming+guide:+a+step-by-step+surgical+technique.">Hip arthroscopy and core decompression for avascular necrosis of the femoral head using a specific aiming guide: a step-by-step surgical technique.</a> Arthroscopy Techniques. 10 (12), 2775-2782 (2021).</li><li>Beer, A. J., Dijkgraaf, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Editorial+European+journal+of+nuclear+medicine+and+molecular+imaging.">Editorial European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging.</a> European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. 44 (2), 284-285 (2017).</li><li>Negrillo-C&#225;rdenas, J., Jim&#233;nez-P&#233;rez, J. R., Feito, F. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+role+of+virtual+and+augmented+reality+in+orthopedic+trauma+surgery:+From+diagnosis+to+rehabilitation.">The role of virtual and augmented reality in orthopedic trauma surgery: From diagnosis to rehabilitation.</a> Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. 191, 105407 (2020).</li><li>Brookes, M. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surgical+Advances+in+Osteosarcoma.">Surgical Advances in Osteosarcoma.</a> Cancers. 13 (3), 388 (2021).</li><li>Cho, H. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Can+augmented+reality+be+helpful+in+pelvic+bone+cancer+surgery?+an+in+vitro+study.">Can augmented reality be helpful in pelvic bone cancer surgery? an in vitro study.</a> Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 476 (9), 1719-1725 (2018).</li></ol>

Although THA has developed rapidly in recent years and become an effective ultimate method for ONFH, hip preservation therapy still plays an important role in treating early-stage ONFH18,19. CD is a basic and effective hip preservation surgery, which can release hip pain and delay the development of femoral head collapse20. The puncture positioning of the focal necrosis is the crucial procedure of CD, as it determines the success or failur...

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common disabling disease occurring in young adults1. Clinically, it is necessary to determine the staging of ONFH based on X-ray, CT, and MRI to decide the treatment strategy (Figure 1). For early-stage ONFH, hip preservation therapy is usually adopted2. Core decompression (CD) surgery is one of the most frequently used hip preservation methods for ONFH. Certain curative effects of core decompression with or without bone grafting in treating early-stage ONFH have been reported, which can avoid or delay subsequent total hip arthroplasty (THA) for a long time3,4,5. However, the success rate of CD with or without bone grafting was reported differently among previous studies, from 64% to 95%6,7,8,9. The surgical technique, especially the accuracy of drilling position, is important for the success of hip preservation10. Due to the blindness of the puncture and positioning procedure, the traditional techniques of CD have several problems, such as more fluoroscopy time, repeated puncture using Kirschner wire, and injury of normal bone tissue11,12.
In recent years, the augmented reality (AR)-assisted method has been introduced in orthopedic surgery13. The AR technique can visually show the anatomy of the surgical field, guide the surgeons in planning the operating procedure, and consequently reduce the difficulty of the operation. The applications of the AR technique in pedicle screw implantation and joint arthroplasty surgery have been reported earlier14,15,16,17. In this study, we aim to apply the AR technique to the CD procedure and verify its safety, accuracy, and feasibility in clinical practice.
System hardware components 
The main components of the AR-based navigation surgical system include the following: (1) A depth camera (Figure 2A) installed directly above the surgical area; the video is shot from this and sent back to the workstation for registration and cooperation with the imaging data. (2) A puncture device (Figure 2B) and a non-invasive body surface marking frame (Figure 2C), both with passive infrared reflectors. A special reflective coating of marking balls (Figure 3) can be captured by infrared equipment to achieve accurate tracking of surgical equipment in the surgical area. (3) An infrared positioning device (Figure 2D) is responsible for tracking markers in the surgical area, matching the body surface marking frame and puncture device with high accuracy (Figure 4). (4) The host system (Figure 2E) is a 64-bit workstation, installed with the independently developed AR-assisted orthopedic surgery system. Augmented reality display of hip joint and femoral head puncture operation can be completed with its assistance.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>AR-assisted Orthopedic Surgery System</td>
			<td>Self development</td>
			<td>None</td>
			<td>An operating software that implements AR for orthopedic surgery</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Depth camera</td>
			<td>Stereolabs</td>
			<td>ZED depth camera(ZED mini)</td>
			<td>shoot video and sent back to the workstation.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Image processing software</td>
			<td>Adobe Systems Incorporated</td>
			<td>Adobe Photoshop CS6</td>
			<td>Image processing software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Infrared positioning device</td>
			<td>Northern Digital Inc.</td>
			<td>NDI Polaris Spectra optical tracking device</td>
			<td>Tracking markers in the surgical area.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Puncture device</td>
			<td>Stryker</td>
			<td>Stryker System 7 Cordless driver and Sabo</td>
			<td>Insert kirschner wire into the necrotic area.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

augmented reality navigation-guided core decompression for osteonecrosis of femoral head

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common joint disease in young and middle-aged patients, which seriously burdens their lives and work. For early-stage ONFH, core decompression surgery is a classical and effective hip preservation therapy. In traditional procedures of core decompression with Kirschner wire, there are still many problems such as X-ray exposure, repeated puncture verification, and damage to normal bone tissue. The blindness of the puncture process and the inability to provide real-time visualization are crucial reasons for these problems.
To optimize this procedure, our team developed an intraoperative navigation system on the basis of augmented reality (AR) technology. This surgical system can intuitively display the anatomy of the surgical areas and render preoperative images and virtual needles to intraoperative video in real-time. With the guide of the navigation system, surgeons can accurately insert Kirschner wires into the targeted lesion area and minimize the collateral damage. We conducted 10 cases of core decompression surgery with this system. The efficiency of positioning and fluoroscopy is greatly improved compared to the traditional procedures, and the accuracy of puncture is also guaranteed.

Operation characteristics 
The surgical navigation system was applied in continuative 10 hips of nine patients. The average total positioning time of the surgery was 10.1 min (median 9.5 min, range 8.0-14.0 min). The mean C-ARM fluoroscopies was 5.5 times (median 5.5 times, range 4-8 times). The mean error of puncture accuracy was 1.61 mm (median 1.2 mm, range -5.76-19.73 mm; Table 1). The results show that the positioning time and fluoroscopy times are obviously shortened compared ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Augmented Reality Navigation-Guided Core Decompression for Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head at JoVE.com

Augmented Reality Navigation-Guided Core Decompression for Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head

Augmented reality technology was applied to core decompression for osteonecrosis of the femoral head to realize real-time visualization of this surgical procedure. This method can effectively improve the safety and precision of core decompression.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common joint disease in young and middle-aged patients, which seriously burdens their lives and work. For ...

Our system can improve the success rate and the efficiency in core decompression surgery for femoral head necrosis. It also significantly reduces the intraoperative positioning time and the fluoroscope source. With VR technology, we can utilize the puncture process, reduce the difficulty of the operation, and it cause less additional damage to the patient than traditional surgical results.The system can be extended to other orthopedic surgery involving puncture procedures. It has been used to get percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy procedure. This system is specially designed for the early osteonecrosis of the femoral head, since traditional surgery is not precise enough, and may bring more secondary damage to the patient, such as normal tissue damage or excessive radiation.The protocol should be and the operation carefully observed to understand the principles and the steps of the system, to minimize the risk indication. And the technical points of core decompression of the femoral head will prove helpful for successful excursion. Begin by dividing the planned surgical frontal area into upper and lower levels.This spatial information will be automatically entered into the software system. Allocate every level with 10 matching points and divide it into three equal parts with two parts having three points each, and the remaining part having four points. Ask the assistant to place the noninvasive body surface marking frame according to the points.Once done, click on match. The system's special image for registration will be automatically super imposed on the marking frame. Move the puncture device randomly in the surgical area to detect the matching degree of virtual needle and tracking delay.In the operating room, ask the patient to lie down in a supine position and fix the lower limb of the affected side. Prepare the surgical site with iodine and 75%alcohol. Move the C-arm fluoroscope to the side of the operating table and position the source above the hip joint.Align the source with the depth camera and record the position of the surgical table as position one. In the AR-assisted orthopedic surgery system, click file front x-ray image and select image one. The system will automatically identify the marking frame and superimpose this image to the hip joint in the surgical video.Using the AR display of the x-ray image and based on the real time video, plan the puncture path. Stand on the affected side for performing the procedure, hold the puncture device, and determine the best insertion angle. Mark the insertion point on the skin surface, guided by the virtual Kirschner wire and the x-ray image of the hip joint in the surgical video.Using a Kirschner wire, pierce through the insertion point. Observe the insertion depth and angle in the video, and adjust it timely. When the virtual needle has reached the target area of necrosis, stop the puncture process and retain the screenshot as image two for subsequent puncture accuracy evaluation.After the puncture, pull out the drill, leaving the Kirschner wires in the bone temporarily. Move the operating table to position one for the second fluoroscopy to verify the actual puncture condition of the Kirschner wire. Record the image file.Puncture is successful when the location of the Kirschner wire meets all of the surgeon's requirements. Then, use the Lancet to cut the skin around the needle and separate every level of soft tissue until the subtrochanter bone is exposed to approximately a depth of three centimeters. Drill into the necrotic area along the Kirschner wire with a five millimeter trephine to complete the subsequent operations.After finishing all the procedures, close the skin with three oh silk thread and cover it with sterile dressing. The surgical navigation system was applied in continuative ten hips of nine patients. With an average total positioning time of 10.1 minutes during the surgery, the mean C-arm fluoroscopies were 5.5 times.The mean error of puncture accuracy was 1.61 millimeters. By the hips evaluated, two hips were in ARCO I stage, four hips were in ARCO IIA stage, and four in ARCO IIB stage. The mean preoperative VAS score was six, and the mean postoperative score was 3.75.The average preoperative Harris score was 77.5, and the mean postoperative score was 85.5. No postoperative complications such as infection, hematoma, or nerve damage were found. It is also possible to combine the procedure with CT three dimensional reconstruction technology so that the puncture can be realized from a three dimensional perspective, which is our future work.We provide an innovative idea of combining AI technology and orthopedic surgery. This idea can also be used to improve the precision of other orthopedic operations in the future.

augmented-reality-navigation-guided-core-decompression-for

Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances

Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder associated with severe episodes of lancinating pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve. Previous reports indicate that 80-90% of cases are related to compression of the trigeminal nerve by an adjacent vessel. The majority of patients with trigeminal neuralgia eventually require surgical management in order to achieve remission of symptoms. Surgical options for management include ablative procedures (e.g., radiosurgery, percutaneous radiofrequency lesioning, balloon compression, glycerol rhizolysis, etc.) and microvascular decompression. Ablative procedures fail to address the root cause of the disorder and are less effective at preventing recurrence of symptoms over the long term than microvascular decompression. However, microvascular decompression is inherently more invasive than ablative procedures and is associated with increased surgical risks. Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between surgeon experience and patient outcome in microvascular decompression. In this series of 59 patients operated on by two neurosurgeons (JSN and PEK) since 2006, 93% of patients demonstrated substantial improvement in their trigeminal neuralgia following the procedure&#x2014;with follow-up ranging from 6 weeks to 2 years. Moreover, 41 of 66 patients (approximately 64%) have been entirely pain-free following the operation.
In this publication, video format is utilized to review the microsurgical pathology of this disorder. Steps of the operative procedure are reviewed and salient principles and technical nuances useful in minimizing complications and maximizing efficacy are discussed.

There are many available options for management of the patient with trigeminal neuralgia. Microvascular decompression, while the most invasive of all options, is also the most effective at achieving long term remission of symptoms. Video instruction on how to maximize efficacy and minimize complications with this procedure is described.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder associated with severe episodes of lancinating pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve. Previous reports ...

Femoral Bone Marrow Aspiration in Live Mice

Serial sampling of the cellular composition of bone marrow (BM) is a routine procedure critical to clinical hematology. This protocol describes a detailed step-by-step technical procedure for an analogous procedure in live mice which allows for serial characterization of cells present in the BM. This procedure facilitates studies aimed to detect the presence of exogenously administered cells within the BM of mice as would be done in xenograft studies for instance. Moreover, this procedure allows for the retrieval and characterization of cells enriched in the BM such as hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) without sacrifice of mice. Given that the cellular composition of peripheral blood is not necessarily reflective of proportions and types of stem and progenitor cells present in the marrow, procedures which provide access to this compartment without requiring termination of the mice are very helpful. The use of femoral bone marrow aspiration is illustrated here for cytological analysis of marrow cells, flow cytometric characterization of the hematopoietic stem/progenitor compartment, and culture of sorted HSPCs obtained by femoral BM aspiration compared with conventional marrow harvest.

This protocol describes a procedure for serial sampling of femoral bone marrow (BM) without requiring the sacrifice of mice. This procedure facilitates longitudinal studies of the BM composition of mice over time and provides serial access to cells within the BM for ex vivo and transplantation studies.

Serial sampling of the cellular composition of bone marrow (BM) is a routine procedure critical to clinical hematology. This protocol describes a detailed ...

A Simple Critical-sized Femoral Defect Model in Mice

While bone has a remarkable capacity for regeneration, serious bone trauma often results in damage that does not properly heal. In fact, one tenth of all limb bone fractures fail to heal completely due to the extent of the trauma, disease, or age of the patient. Our ability to improve bone regenerative strategies is critically dependent on the ability to mimic serious bone trauma in test animals, but the generation and stabilization of large bone lesions is technically challenging. In most cases, serious long bone trauma is mimicked experimentally by establishing a defect that will not naturally heal. This is achieved by complete removal of a bone segment that is larger than 1.5 times the diameter of the bone cross-section. The bone is then stabilized with a metal implant to maintain proper orientation of the fracture edges and allow for mobility. 
Due to their small size and the fragility of their long bones, establishment of such lesions in mice are beyond the capabilities of most research groups. As such, long bone defect models are confined to rats and larger animals. Nevertheless, mice afford significant research advantages in that they can be genetically modified and bred as immune-compromised strains that do not reject human cells and tissue.
Herein, we demonstrate a technique that facilitates the generation of a segmental defect in mouse femora using standard laboratory and veterinary equipment. With practice, fabrication of the fixation device and surgical implantation is feasible for the majority of trained veterinarians and animal research personnel. Using example data, we also provide methodologies for the quantitative analysis of bone healing for the model.

Animal models are frequently employed to mimic serious bone injury in biomedical research. Due to their small size, establishment of stabilized bone lesions in mice are beyond the capabilities of most research groups. Herein, we describe a simple method for establishing and analyzing experimental femoral defects in mice.

While bone has a remarkable capacity for regeneration, serious bone trauma often results in damage that does not properly heal. In fact, one tenth of all ...

Ultrasonic-augmented Primary Adult Fibroblast Isolation

Primary adult fibroblasts have become an important tool to study fibrosis, fibroblast interactions and inflammation in all body tissues. Since primary fibroblasts cannot divide indefinitely due to myofibroblast differentiation or senescence induction, new cultures must be established regularly. However, there are several obstacles to overcome during the processes of developing a reliable isolation protocol and primary fibroblast isolation itself: the method&#8217;s degree of difficulty (especially for beginners), the risk of bacterial contamination, the required time until primary fibroblasts can be used for experiments, and subsequent cell quality and viability. In this study, a fast, reliable and easy-to-learn protocol to isolate and culture primary adult fibroblasts from mouse heart, lung, liver and kidney combining enzymatic digestion and ultrasonic agitation is provided.

We present a protocol to isolate primary adult fibroblasts in an easy, fast and reliable way, performable by beginners (e.g., students). The procedure combines enzymatic tissue digestion and mechanical agitation with ultrasonic waves to obtain primary fibroblasts. The protocol can easily be adapted to specific experimental requirements (e.g., human tissue).

Primary adult fibroblasts have become an important tool to study fibrosis, fibroblast interactions and inflammation in all body tissues. Since primary ...

Integrating Augmented Reality Tools in Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Prognostication and Diagnosis

Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is a detrimental condition characterized by fluid accumulation in the upper limb in breast cancer patients subjected to axillary surgery and/or radiations. Its etiology is multifactorial and include also tumor-specific pathological features, such as lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and extranodal extension (ENE). To date, no widely employed guidelines for the early diagnosis of BCRL are available. Here, we illustrate a protocol for a digitally assisted BCRL assessment using a 3D laser scanner (3DLS) and a tablet computer. It has been specifically optimized in a discovery cohort of high-risk breast cancer patients. This study provides a proof-of-principle that augmented reality tools, such as 3DLS, can be incorporated into the clinical workup of BCRL to allow for a precise, reproducible, reliable, and cheap diagnosis.

Breast cancer related lymphedema is frequent in breast cancer survivors, but there are not widely employed guidelines for its diagnosis and quantification. Here, we introduce a reliable and cost-effective protocol to define, quantify, and compare upper limb volume in breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is a detrimental condition characterized by fluid accumulation in the upper limb in breast cancer patients ...

Immunofluorescence Labelling of Human and Murine Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Paraffin-Embedded Tissue

Neutrophil granulocytes, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) due to their lobulated nucleus, are the most abundant type of leukocytes. They mature in the bone marrow and are released into the peripheral blood, where they circulate for about 6&#8722;8 h; however, in tissue, they can survive for days. By diapedesis through the endothelium, they leave the blood stream, enter tissues, and migrate towards the site of an infection following chemotactic gradients.&#160;Neutrophils can combat invading microorganisms by phagocytosis,&#160;degranulation, and generation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). This protocol will help to detect NETs in paraffin-embedded tissue. NETs are the result of a process called NETosis, which leads to the release of nuclear, granular, and cytoplasmic components either from living (vital NETosis) or dying (suicidal NETosis) neutrophils. In vitro, NETs form cloud-like structures, which occupy a space several times larger than that of the cells from which they descended. The backbone of NETs is chromatin, to which a selection of proteins and peptides originating from granules and cytoplasm are bound. Thereby, a high local concentration of toxic compounds is maintained so that NETs can capture and inactivate a variety of pathogens including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites, while diffusion of the highly active NET components leading to damage in neighboring tissue is limited. Nevertheless, in recent years it has become apparent that NETs, if generated in abundance or cleared insufficiently, do have pathological potential ranging from autoimmune diseases to cancer. Thus, detection of NETs in tissue samples may have diagnostic significance, and the detection of NETs in diseased tissue can influence the treatment of patients. Since paraffin-embedded tissue samples are the standard specimen used for pathological analysis, it was sought to establish a protocol for fluorescent staining of NET components in paraffin-embedded tissue using commercially available antibodies.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are three-dimensional structures generated by stimulated neutrophil granulocytes. It has become clear in recent years that NETs are involved in a wide variety of diseases. Detection of NETs in tissue may have diagnostic relevance, so standardized protocols for labelling NET components are required.

Neutrophil granulocytes, also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) due to their lobulated nucleus, are the most abundant type of leukocytes. They ...

Combining Augmented Reality and 3D Printing to Display Patient Models on a Smartphone

Augmented reality (AR) has great potential in education, training, and surgical guidance in the medical field. Its combination with three-dimensional (3D) printing (3DP) opens new possibilities in clinical applications. Although these technologies have grown exponentially in recent years, their adoption by physicians is still limited, since they require extensive knowledge of engineering and software development. Therefore, the purpose of this protocol is to describe a step-by-step methodology enabling inexperienced users to create a smartphone app, which combines AR and 3DP for the visualization of anatomical 3D models of patients with a 3D-printed reference marker. The protocol describes how to create 3D virtual models of a patient&rsquo;s anatomy derived from 3D medical images. It then explains how to perform positioning of the 3D models with respect to marker references. Also provided are instructions for how to 3D print the required tools and models. Finally, steps to deploy the app are provided. The protocol is based on free and multi-platform software and can be applied to any medical imaging modality or patient. An alternative approach is described to provide automatic registration between a 3D-printed model created from a patient&rsquo;s anatomy and the projected holograms. As an example, a clinical case of a patient suffering from distal leg sarcoma is provided to illustrate the methodology. It is expected that this protocol will accelerate the adoption of AR and 3DP technologies by medical professionals.

Presented here is a method to design an augmented reality smartphone application for the visualization of anatomical three-dimensional models of patients using a 3D-printed reference marker.

Augmented reality (AR) has great potential in education, training, and surgical guidance in the medical field. Its combination with three-dimensional (3D) ...

Implantation of Human-Sized Coronary Stents into Rat Abdominal Aorta Using a Trans-Femoral Access

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), combined with the deployment of a coronary stent, represents the gold standard in interventional treatment of coronary artery disease. In-stent restenosis (ISR) is determined by an excessive proliferation of neointimal tissue within the stent and limits the long-term success of stents. A variety of animal models have been used to elucidate pathophysiological processes underlying in-stent restenosis (ISR), with the porcine coronary and the rabbit iliac artery models being the most frequently used. Murine models provide the advantages of high throughput, ease of handling and housing, reproducibility, and a broad availability of molecular markers. The apolipoprotein E deficient (apoE-/- ) mouse model has been widely used to study cardiovascular diseases. However, stents must be miniaturized to be implanted into mice, involving important changes of their mechanical and (potentially) biological properties. The use of apoE-/- rats can overcome these shortcomings as apoE-/- rats allow for the evaluation of human-sized coronary stents while at the same time providing an atherogenic phenotype. This makes them an excellent and reliable model to investigate ISR after stent implantation. Here, we describe, in detail, the implantation of commercially available human coronary stents into the abdominal aorta of rats with an apoE-/- background using a trans-femoral access.

This protocol describes the implantation of human coronary stents into the abdominal aorta of rats with an apoE-/- background using a trans-femoral access. Compared with other animal models, murine models carry the advantages of high throughput, reproducibility, ease of handling and housing, and a broad availability of molecular markers.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), combined with the deployment of a coronary stent, represents the gold standard in interventional treatment of ...

Orthopedic Robot-Assisted Femoral Neck System in the Treatment of Femoral Neck Fracture

Cannulated screw fixation is the main therapy for femoral neck fractures, especially in young patients. The traditional surgical procedure uses C-arm fluoroscopy to place the screw freehand and requires several guide wire adjustments, which increases the operation time and radiation exposure. Repeated drilling can also cause damage to the blood supply and bone quality of the femoral neck, which can be followed by complications such as screw loosening, nonunion, and femoral head necrosis. In order to make fixation more precise and reduce the incidence of complications, our team applied robot-assisted orthopedic surgery for screw placement using the femoral neck system to modify the traditional procedure. This protocol introduces how to import a patient's X-ray information into the system, how to perform screw path planning in software, and how the robotic arm assists in screw placement. Using this method, the surgeons can place the screw successfully the first time, improve the accuracy of the procedure, and avoid radiation exposure. The whole protocol includes the diagnosis of femoral neck fracture; the collection of intraoperative X-ray images; screw path planning in the software; precise placement of the screw under the assistance of the robotic arm by the surgeon; and verification of the implant placement.

This article introduces a method of robot-assisted orthopedic surgery for screw placement during the treatment of femoral neck fracture using the femoral neck system, which allows for more accurate screw placement, improved surgical efficiency, and fewer complications.

Cannulated screw fixation is the main therapy for femoral neck fractures, especially in young patients. The traditional surgical procedure uses C-arm ...

Advanced CAD Imaging for Surgical Margin Analysis in Cancer Care

Enhanced Communication of Tumor Margins Using 3D Scanning and Mapping

After oncologic resection of malignant tumors, specimens are sent to pathology for processing to determine the surgical margin status. These results are communicated in the form of a written pathology report. The current standard-of-care pathology report provides a written description of the specimen and the sites of margin sampling without any visual representation of the resected tissue. The specimen itself is typically destroyed during sectioning and analysis. This often leads to challenging communication between pathologists and surgeons when the final pathology report is confirmed. Furthermore, surgeons and pathologists are the only members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team to visualize the resected cancer specimen. We have developed a 3D scanning and specimen mapping protocol to address this unmet need. Computer-aided design (CAD) software is used to annotate the virtual specimen clearly showing sites of inking and margin sampling. This map can be utilized by various members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team.

Author Spotlight: 3D Scanning and Augmented Reality for Enhanced Cancer Surgery Communication

A novel method for 3D scanning and virtual mapping of cancer resections is proposed with the goal of improving communication among the multidisciplinary cancer care team.

After oncologic resection of malignant tumors, specimens are sent to pathology for processing to determine the surgical margin status. These results are ...