Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Tobias Hüfner

Publications and source records attributed to Tobias Hüfner.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Navigated Iso-C3D-based percutaneous osteoid osteoma resection: a preliminary clinical report.

Minimally invasive osteoid osteoma resection under computer tomography (CT) guidance has yielded good results and has become a viable alternative to open surgical procedures. Limited visualization of the actual drill position under CT guidance can frequently result in inadequate and malpositioned drilling, especially at lesions located in less accessible anatomic regions. With the conventional CT-guided drilling technique, sterility and general operative management poorly correlate with standard operating room conditions, and are at risk of intra- and postoperative complications. The new Iso-C(3D) imaging device provides intraoperative multiplanar reconstructions. Adequate image quality and implementation in navigation systems were described for numerous indications. On the basis of multiplanar reconstructions, minimally invasive navigated techniques under three-dimensional surgical tool control become possible, which is not the case under fluoroscopic or CT-based navigation. We report on our first three cases of navigated Iso-C(3D) osteoid osteoma resection. A minimally invasive resection of the nidus was possible under permanent multiplanar image control. No complications were encountered and all patients reported successful outcomes. Minimally invasive-based navigation offered an effective and reproducible surgical approach. Dependence on CT imaging for proper positioning and complications associated with use away from the operating room environment can be avoided.

Bone Neoplasms↗

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↗

Computer aided high tibial open wedge osteotomy.

High tibial osteotomy is a widely accepted treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis as well as other lower extremity deformities. However, it is a technically demanding procedure. The lack of exact intraoperative real time control of the mechanical axis often results in postoperative malalignments, which is one reason for poor long term results. These problems can be addressed with the use of a surgical navigation system. Following exposure, dynamic reference bases (DRBs) are attached to the femur, and the proximal and the distal part of the tibia. After intraoperative measurement of the deformities and correction planning, the osteotomy is performed under navigational guidance. The wedge size, joint line orientation, and tibial plateau slope are monitored during correction. The in vitro evaluation with a plastic bone model suggests that the error of deformity correction is less than 1.7 degrees (95% confidence limits) in the frontal, and less than 2.3 degrees (95% confidence limits) in the sagittal plane, respectively. On a cadaver study of 13 legs, the mechanical axis intersected the Fujisawa line in 80.7% (range 77.5-85.8%). The preliminary clinical experience confirms these results. A novel computer tomography free navigation system for high tibial osteotomy has been developed that holds the promise of improving the accuracy, reliability, and safety of this kind of approach.

Adult↗

Computer aided tumor resection in the pelvis.

Surgical treatment of malignant tumors within the pelvis is a complex problem due to the anatomy and biomechanics. There are standardized preoperative diagnostic tools like computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that provide multidimensional information. However, this information cannot be transferred intraoperatively. Computer aided orthopedic surgery (CAOS) may be a solution for precise intraoperative accuracy for these indications. We report on two patients with tumors within the pelvis. In one patient, an infiltrating recurrent chordoma within the sacrum was resected with CAOS. The other patient presented with a periacetabular chondrosarcoma. Resection was done with navigation so precise that a custom-made hemipelvis prosthesis with a special coating fit. In both patients, a complete resection was achieved with tumor-free resection margins. Navigation may be helpful in tumor surgery within the pelvis.

Bone Neoplasms↗

Computer aided reduction and imaging.

Reduction is one of the key procedures in orthopedic trauma surgery and has been acknowledged as one of the conditions for a good outcome in intraarticular and extra-articular fractures. The information available to the surgeon during the reduction maneuver can be divided into visual and tactile information. The optimal implementation of these parameters, combined with the surgeon's individual experience, will significantly affect the results of the operation. Anatomical regions where a limited direct view through the approach is supported by intraoperative imaging are intra-articular fractures of the elbow, forearm, acetabulum, proximal tibia, pilon, and hindfoot, and extra-articular fractures of the spine, pelvis, femur, and tibial shaft. Surgery in these regions is demanding since the approaches limit the visual control of the axes and also the anatomical reduction within the joint. Computer aided orthopedic surgery (CAOS) was introduced to increase the accuracy of selected procedures in orthopedic surgery. One of the most frequently applied applications is pedicle screw insertion in posterior spinal surgery. The current working group has identified computer aided reduction and implant positioning as an unresolved area of CAOS that would be highly relevant to the operative treatment of fractures. The development of tools for computer aided reduction is of major importance and is much desired by the orthopedic community. Such a reduction tool would be a significant step forward in the development of orthopedic trauma care. It would facilitate new procedures and new operations and also help to attain a completely new level with regard to what we can achieve in terms of minimal invasiveness and increased precision. The synergies of the expert group are deployed to develop the required software modules and hardware. Other areas of computer aided orthopedic surgery will certainly benefit from the integration of this technology as well.

Bone Screws↗

New indications for computer-assisted surgery: tumor resection in the pelvis.

The resection of recurrent malignant pelvic tumors was supported by a commercially available navigation system in three patients. Preoperatively three-dimensional images from the pelvis were obtained by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging to identify the tumor extension. During surgery navigated tools oriented the surgeon to excise the tumor with adequate virtual margins. Navigation was helpful for tumor identification in one patient with a recurrent presacral mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. In the other two patients the tumor resection in the bone was done with three-dimensional observation of the osteotomies in the sacrum. In all three patients the histopathologic analysis confirmed that the neoplasms were excised accurately within their margins. We think that computer-assisted surgery is a potential method to increase the accuracy of tumor resections.

Adult↗

Computer assisted pelvic surgery: registration based on a modified external fixator.

A fundamental step in Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) is the registration, when the preoperative virtual data and the corresponding operative anatomy of the region of interest are merged. To provide exact landmarks for anatomical registration, a tubular external fixator was modified. Two intact pelvic bones (one artificial foam pelvis and one cadaver specimen) were used for the experimental setup. Registration was carried out using a standardized protocol for anatomy-based registration in the control group; anatomical registration was achieved using a modified external fixator in the study group. This external fixator had titanium fiducials wedged into the fixator carbon tubes serving as landmarks for paired-point registration. The tubes were used for surface registration. The standard anterior pelvis fixator assembly was augmented with additional bilateral tubes oriented towards the posterior, enabling registration of the sacroiliac areas. The accuracy of registration was checked by "reversed verification", where the examiner used only the screen display to control the virtual position of the pointer tip in relation to selected landmarks. By virtual matching, the real distance was measured with a digital caliper. We defined the verification as "accurate" when the residual distance was less than 1 mm; "acceptable" when it was between 1 mm and 2 mm; and "insufficient" when it exceeded 2 mm. The paired T-test with significance levels of p < 0.05 was used for statistical analysis. The anatomical registration based on the external fixator landmarks was statistically as accurate as that obtained using anatomical landmarks on the pelvic bone. This study concludes that the external fixator, a conventional tool in the management of acute traumatic pelvic instability, can also be useful for landmark registration in CAS.

External Fixators↗

EMG monitoring during functional non-surgical therapy of Achilles tendon rupture.

After surgical therapy of Achilles tendon rupture, neuromuscular changes may persist, even one year after surgery. We were interested whether these changes are also evident following a non-surgical functional therapy (Variostabil therapy boot/Adidas). Twenty-one patients with complete Achilles tendon rupture were enrolled in the study (mean age 38.5 years, range 24 to 60; 18 men, three women) and followed-up clinically and with surface EMG of the gastrocnemius muscles after four, eight, 12 weeks, and one year after rupture. EMG differences between the affected and non-affected side could only be observed at baseline and after four weeks following Achilles tendon rupture. The results from our study show that EMG changes are not found following non-surgical functional therapy.

Achilles Tendon↗