The group, led by Dr. Ramin Javan from George Washington University Hospital, sought to increase the efficiency and accuracy of three image-guided spinal procedures -- facet and sacroiliac joint injections and percutaneous discectomy -- with the assistance of AR technology.
"As the augmented reality technology advances and accuracy improves, it can be used in many clinical settings, predominantly in procedures and interventions," Javan told AuntMinnie.com. "Our focus was to demonstrate its application where relatively accurate (within 2.5 ± 0.4 mm) localization of a needle tip deep within the tissues was of paramount importance."
Clinicians traditionally use fluoroscopy to help guide needle insertion for these common spinal procedures; however, Javan and colleagues proposed that a surgical team use their AR technique instead. This technique involved superimposing 3D virtual models based on CT scans of the patient's anatomy directly onto the actual patient during the procedure.
They first tested their AR technique on needle insertion into a 3D-printed lumbar phantom and found that it led to highly accurate results. A neuroradiologist then used the same method to pinpoint targeted joints for several real spinal procedures. The AR technique had comparable accuracy to traditional image guidance with fluoroscopy, the researchers confirmed.
"The registration accuracy continues to improve with more refined methods and software," presenter Jacob Gibby added. "We have begun performing live procedures with exciting preliminary results."
