Utility of an image fusion system for 3D preoperative planning and fluoroscopy in the osteosynthesis of distal radius fractures

Comprehensive review of deep learning in orthopaedics: Applications, challenges, trustworthiness, and fusion

Deep learning (DL) in orthopaedics has gained significant attention in recent years. Previous studies have shown that DL can be applied to a wide variety of orthopaedic tasks, including fracture detection, bone tumour diagnosis, implant recognition, and evaluation of osteoarthritis severity. The utilisation of DL is expected to increase, owing to its ability to present accurate diagnoses more efficiently than traditional methods in many scenarios. This reduces the time and cost of diagnosis for patients and orthopaedic surgeons. To our knowledge, no exclusive study has comprehensively reviewed all aspects of DL currently used in orthopaedic practice. This review addresses this knowledge gap using articles from Science Direct, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and Web of Science between 2017 and 2023. The authors begin with the motivation for using DL in orthopaedics, including its ability to enhance diagnosis and treatment planning. The review then covers various applications of DL in orthopaedics, including fracture detection, detection of supraspinatus tears using MRI, osteoarthritis, prediction of types of arthroplasty implants, bone age assessment, and detection of joint-specific soft tissue disease. We also examine the challenges for implementing DL in orthopaedics, including the scarcity of data to train DL and the lack of interpretability, as well as possible solutions to these common pitfalls. Our work highlights the requirements to achieve trustworthiness in the outcomes generated by DL, including the need for accuracy, explainability, and fairness in the DL models. We pay particular attention to fusion techniques as one of the ways to increase trustworthiness, which have also been used to address the common multimodality in orthopaedics. Finally, we have reviewed the approval requirements set forth by the US Food and Drug Administration to enable the use of DL applications. As such, we aim to have this review function as a guide for researchers to develop a reliable DL application for orthopaedic tasks from scratch for use in the market.

Treatment of complex limb fractures with 3D printing technology combined with personalized plates: a retrospective study of case series and literature review

Background

In recent years, 3D printing technology has made significant strides in the medical field. With the advancement of orthopedics, there is an increasing pursuit of high surgical quality and optimal functional recovery. 3D printing enables the creation of precise physical models of fractures, and customized personalized steel plates can better realign and more comprehensively and securely fix fractures. These technologies improve preoperative diagnosis, simulation, and planning for complex limb fractures, providing patients with better treatment options.

Patients and methods

Five typical cases were selected from a pool of numerous patients treated with 3D printing technology combined with personalized custom steel plates at our hospital. These cases were chosen to demonstrate the entire process of printing 3D models and customizing individualized steel plates, including details of the patients' surgeries and treatment procedures. Literature reviews were conducted, with a focus on highlighting the application of 3D printing technology combined with personalized custom steel plates in the treatment of complex limb fractures.

Results

3D printing technology can produce accurate physical models of fractures, and personalized custom plates can achieve better fracture realignment and more comprehensive and robust fixation. These technologies provide patients with better treatment options.

Conclusion

The use of 3D printing models and personalized custom steel plates can improve preoperative diagnosis, simulation, and planning for complex limb fractures, realizing personalized medicine. This approach helps reduce surgical time, minimize trauma, enhance treatment outcomes, and improve patient functional recovery.

Is a Novel Fluoroscopic Intraoperative Reference System Superior to Conventional Management for Distal Radius Fracture Reduction? A Propensity-matched Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

Preoperative planning is generally performed to simulate the process of reduction as well as to determine the size and placement of implants in patients undergoing distal radius fracture surgery. We previously described a three-dimensional (3D) digital preoperative planning system for the osteosynthesis of distal radius fractures, and we have developed a novel intraoperative referencing system that superimposes preoperative planning (such as plate position and length) onto fluoroscopic images during surgery; however, its efficacy has not been evaluated compared with conventional planning and surgery.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

Does use of a novel intraoperative referencing system result in (1) better Mayo wrist scores at 3 and 6 months after surgery and (2) less loss of reduction in terms of ulnar variance, palmar tilt, and radial inclination on plain radiographs taken 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery compared with conventional preoperative planning?

METHODS

Between April 2014 and October 2021, we treated 294 patients with open reduction and volar plate fixation for distal radius fractures. Of 294 patients, 65% (191) underwent surgery using either conventional preoperative planning or a novel intraoperative referencing system. The remaining patients were excluded because they were younger than 18 years, they had some missing medical records related to the clinical outcomes, or they had a previous history of upper extremity injuries. During that time, we generally treated fractures with volar plates when there was: more than 2 mm of stepoff/gap in the articular surface, a dorsal tilt more than 15°, radial inclination less than 15°, or radial shortening more than 5 mm. Generally, we used a flexor carpi radialis approach. In some patients who had dorsal fragments, we added a dorsal approach. At that time, we were developing the new intraoperative referencing system, so it was not used consistently. To arrive at a fair assessment, we opted to perform propensity matching based on age, gender, and AO fracture type. During the period in question, 36% (69 of 191) of patients with distal radius fractures who received a volar plate were treated using our novel intraoperative referencing system, and 64% (122 of 191) had surgery using conventional preoperative planning (control group). Of those, 91% (63 of 69) of patients who were treated with the intraoperative referencing system and 89% (108 of 122) of those in the control group were available for follow-up with all imaging and Mayo wrist scores at least 6 months after surgery. After propensity matching, that left us with two groups of 39 patients, who were well matched in terms of age and fracture type; these were the study groups. We also tried to match them according to gender, but there were fewer patients in the intraoperative referencing group, and the percentage of women for each group differed: 70% (44 of 63) in the intraoperative referencing group and 76% (82 of 108) in the control group. Also, there were fewer men with C3 fractures in the control group. Therefore, 64% (25 of 39) of patients in the intraoperative referencing group were women and 77% (30 of 39) of patients in the control group were women. In the intraoperative referencing group, our novel intraoperative referencing system was used in combination with the 3D digital preoperative planning system for preoperative planning. In the control group, preoperative planning was performed manually in a conventional manner using tracing paper and implant templates or using a digital template. We compared the groups in terms of operative duration, the radiation dose used in surgery, and Mayo wrist scores at 3 and 6 months after surgery. We also compared the groups in terms of loss of reduction on ulnar variance, palmar tilt, and radial inclination on plain radiographs taken 3 months and 6 months after surgery. We considered the plain radiograph taken 1 week after surgery as a baseline. Each item was compared between the image fusion and control groups using a Welch t - test.

RESULTS

Mayo wrist scores were no different between the intraoperative referencing system and the control group at 3 months (71 ± 7 versus 72 ± 11, mean difference 1 [95% CI -3.7 to 5.7]; p = 0.07) or at 6 months after surgery (76 ± 6 versus 79 ± 11, mean difference 3 [95% CI -3.5 to 7.9]; p = 0.12). There were no differences in surgical duration or radiation doses between the intraoperative referencing and control groups. We found only a small advantage in favor of the intraoperative referencing system in terms of loss of reduction on ulnar variance (3 months after surgery: 0.2 ± 0.4 mm versus 0.6 ± 0.7 mm, mean difference 0.4 mm [95% CI 0.15 to 0.69]; p = 0.003, 6 months after surgery: 0.4 ± 0.6 mm versus 0.8 ± 0.8 mm, mean difference 0.4 mm [95% CI 0.05 to 0.73]; p = 0.02 for the intraoperative referencing system and the control group, respectively). This difference in radial shortening was so small that it was not likely to have been clinically important.

CONCLUSION

We found no clinically important advantages from the use of our novel intraoperative referencing system except a slight improvement in ulnar variance. Therefore, we recommend against its use in everyday practice at this time. However, future improvements may lead to better clinical outcomes, so we plan further investigations.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

3D printing technology combined with personalized plates for complex distal intra-articular fractures of the trimalleolar ankle

This study investigated the effectiveness of 3D printing technology in combination with personalized custom-made steel plates in the treatment of complex distal intra-articular trimalleolar fractures, with the aim of providing a new approach to improve ankle joint function in patients. The 48 patients with complex distal intra-articular trimalleolar fractures included in the study were randomly divided into two groups: the personalized custom-made steel plate group (n = 24) and the conventional steel plate group (n = 24). A comparison was made between the two groups in terms of preoperative preparation time, hospitalization duration, surgical time, fracture reduction and internal fixation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy instances, surgical incision length, fracture healing time, follow-up duration, degree of fracture reduction, ankle joint functional recovery, and the occurrence of complications. The personalized steel plate group exhibited longer preoperative preparation time and hospitalization duration compared to the conventional steel plate group (p < 0.001). However, the personalized steel plate group demonstrated significantly shorter surgical duration, time for fracture reduction and internal fixation, reduced intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, and a shorter overall surgical incision length (p < 0.001). Both groups displayed similar fracture healing times and follow-up durations (p > 0.05). The personalized steel plate group showed a higher rate of successful fracture reduction (87.5% vs. 79.2%, p > 0.05) and a lower incidence of complications (8.3% vs. 20.8%, p = 0.22), although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, the personalized steel plate group exhibited superior ankle joint function scores during follow-up compared to the conventional steel plate group (p < 0.05). By utilizing 3D printing technology in conjunction with personalized custom-made steel plates, personalized treatment plans are provided for patients with complex comminuted tri-malleolar ankle fractures, enabling safer, more efficient, and satisfactory orthopedic surgeries.

Short-term results and complications of the operative treatment of the distal radius fracture AO2R3 C type, planned by using 3D-printed models. Prospective randomized control study

PURPOSE

3D-printed models rapidly evolving in orthopaedic. Studies show that 3D-printed models used for preoperative planning improve a better understanding of fracture morphology and reduce operative time, blood loss and frequency of fluoroscopy, but there are no studies that investigated possible advantages in the outcomes and complications for the treatment of distal radius fracture (DRF). Our study aims to evaluate short-term functional results and complications between two groups treated DRF using 3D-printed models for preoperative planning and without. We hypothesize that the addition of 3D-printed models would improve functional outcomes and reduce complication rates.

METHODS

66 randomized cases of DRF AO/OTA C type were enrolled and divided into "Control group" (n = 33) and "3D-printed model group" (n = 33). Personalized 3D-printed models were created. The primary outcomes were: Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation questionnaire, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score questionnaire, and complications. The secondary outcomes were: measurement of the range of motions, grip strength, radiological evaluation, and the visual analogue scale. Assessments were measured at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months intervals.

RESULTS

We found that the integration of the 3D-printed model in preoperative planning decreased complication incidence significantly - from 30.3% in the "Control group" to 6.1% in the "3D-printed model group", p = .022. But we did not find a difference in functional and radiological outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The 3D-printed models for preoperative planning surgically treating DRF AO/OTA C type can help minimize the complication rate, however, they can't improve functional outcomes in the short-term results.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I randomized controlled study.

Insights and trends review: the role of three-dimensional technology in upper extremity surgery

The use of three-dimensional (3-D) technology in upper extremity surgery has the potential to revolutionize the way that hand and upper limb procedures are planned and performed. 3-D technology can assist in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions, allowing virtual preoperative planning and surgical templating. 3-D printing can allow the production of patient-specific jigs, instruments and implants, allowing surgeons to plan and perform complex procedures with greater precision and accuracy. Previously, cost has been a barrier to the use of 3-D technology, which is now falling rapidly. This review article will discuss the current status of 3-D technology and printing, including its applications, ethics and challenges in hand and upper limb surgery. We have provided case examples to outline how clinicians can incorporate 3-D technology in their clinical practice for congenital deformities, management of acute fracture and malunion and arthroplasty.

Outcomes of the Management of Distal Radius Fractures in the Last 5 Years: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective  Over the last decades, volar locking plates (VLPs) have been the mainstay treatment for distal radius fractures (DRFs). With the growing body of evidence, we systematically reviewed studies on recent VLP modifications. Methods  A systematic search was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE database for studies published in English in the past five years. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the operative treatment of DRFs. We excluded ongoing trials and studies not directly addressing DRF. The primary outcomes assessed were subjective (such as the scores on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand [DASH] questionnaire, the Patient-rated Wrist Evaluation [PRWE], the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions [EQ-5D], the 36-item Short Form Health Survey [SF-36], and the Visual Analog Scale [VAS]) and objective clinical outcomes (the complication rate). Results  We identified 29 articles published from 2016 to 2020 with high quality of evidence, except for one, which had evidence of moderate quality. In total, 3,079 DRFs were analyzed in the present study. All studies except one had a greater proportion of female participants, and only in 1 study the mean age of the sample was < 40 years old. There were no significant differences between the VLP and external fixation (EF) in terms of the scores on the DASH ( p  = 0.18) and PRWE ( p  = 0.77). The VLP alone without pronator quadratus (PQ) repair yielded significantly better outcomes. Conclusion  In unstable fractures, the VLP and EF yielded comparable long-term results. There is no clear benefit of adding PQ repair to current the VLP surgical technique. Level of Evidence  Level I.

Computer-assisted preoperative planning of bone fracture fixation surgery: A state-of-the-art review

Background: Bone fracture fixation surgery is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the orthopedic field. However, fracture healing complications occur frequently, and the choice of the most optimal surgical approach often remains challenging. In the last years, computational tools have been developed with the aim to assist preoperative planning procedures of bone fracture fixation surgery. Objectives: The aims of this review are 1) to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in computer-assisted preoperative planning of bone fracture fixation surgery, 2) to assess the clinical feasibility of the existing virtual planning approaches, and 3) to assess their clinical efficacy in terms of clinical outcomes as compared to conventional planning methods. Methods: A literature search was performed in the MEDLINE-PubMed, Ovid-EMBASE, Ovid-EMCARE, Web of Science, and Cochrane libraries to identify articles reporting on the clinical use of computer-assisted preoperative planning of bone fracture fixation. Results: 79 articles were included to provide an overview of the state-of-the art in virtual planning. While patient-specific geometrical model construction, virtual bone fracture reduction, and virtual fixation planning are routinely applied in virtual planning, biomechanical analysis is rarely included in the planning framework. 21 of the included studies were used to assess the feasibility and efficacy of computer-assisted planning methods. The reported total mean planning duration ranged from 22 to 258 min in different studies. Computer-assisted planning resulted in reduced operation time (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD): -2.19; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -2.87, -1.50), less blood loss (SMD: -1.99; 95% CI: -2.75, -1.24), decreased frequency of fluoroscopy (SMD: -2.18; 95% CI: -2.74, -1.61), shortened fracture healing times (SMD: -0.51; 95% CI: -0.97, -0.05) and less postoperative complications (Risk Ratio (RR): 0.64, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.90). No significant differences were found in hospitalization duration. Some studies reported improvements in reduction quality and functional outcomes but these results were not pooled for meta-analysis, since the reported outcome measures were too heterogeneous. Conclusion: Current computer-assisted planning approaches are feasible to be used in clinical practice and have been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Including biomechanical analysis into the framework has the potential to further improve clinical outcome.

Image Fusion Improves Interdisciplinary Communication in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The diagnosis and therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in Germany is according to guidelines and relies on interdisciplinary board meetings. Standard examination techniques are computed tomography (CT) and magnet resonance imaging (MRI). These technologies are used as objective tools for serial presentation in an oncologic board meeting. The presentation of multiple series at different time points can be time consuming and might not often depict a patients case clearly for all involved disciplinaries. A conclusive image fusion could improve the communication. Thus, this study aims to introduce a novel idea of image fusion into the field of craniomaxillofacial surgery in order to ease understanding and improve therapy in complex OSCC patients' cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three key data sets of a patient with OSCC at the right tongue have been merged by image fusion of 3 MRI of head and neck with 3 CT thorax and abdomen using Syngo via (Siemens). Fused images were used as at a glance picture for presenting and discussion a patients case. Focus was on presenting a case of a primary manifestation of OSCC with the potential of a local relapse and distant metastases in an interdisciplinary oncologic board meeting.

RESULTS

Image fusion enabled to visualize the primary tumor, local relapse as well as distant pulmonary metastasis and within the suprarenal gland, which have been occurred in a linear time line of 13 months.

DISCUSSION

Image fusion of different modalities that is CT and MRI, which were gathered at different time points, presents a new approach within the field of craniomaxillofacial surgery and helped to understand cancer localization and relapse at 1 glance. This new approach will enable a compact data set of patients oncological history as a more decisive tool for all involved disciplinaries.

CONCLUSIONS

Image fusion might have the potential to become a standard approach in order to ease multiple therapists to make therapy decisions in oncologic board meetings on basis of current three-dimensional ready CT imaging and MRI.

Dose reduction potential in cone-beam CT imaging of upper extremity joints with a twin robotic x-ray system

Cone-beam computed tomography is a powerful tool for 3D imaging of the appendicular skeleton, facilitating detailed visualization of bone microarchitecture. This study evaluated various combinations of acquisition and reconstruction parameters for the cone-beam CT mode of a twin robotic x-ray system in cadaveric wrist and elbow scans, aiming to define the best possible trade-off between image quality and radiation dose. Images were acquired with different combinations of tube voltage and tube current-time product, resulting in five scan protocols with varying volume CT dose indices: full-dose (FD; 17.4 mGy), low-dose (LD; 4.5 mGy), ultra-low-dose (ULD; 1.15 mGy), modulated low-dose (mLD; 0.6 mGy) and modulated ultra-low-dose (mULD; 0.29 mGy). Each set of projection data was reconstructed with three convolution kernels (very sharp [Ur77], sharp [Br69], intermediate [Br62]). Five radiologists subjectively assessed the image quality of cortical bone, cancellous bone and soft tissue using seven-point scales. Irrespective of the reconstruction kernel, overall image quality of every FD, LD and ULD scan was deemed suitable for diagnostic use in contrast to mLD (very sharp/sharp/intermediate: 60/55/70%) and mULD (0/3/5%). Superior depiction of cortical and cancellous bone was achieved in FD_Ur77 and LD_Ur77 examinations (p < 0.001) with LD_Ur77 scans also providing favorable bone visualization compared to FD_Br69 and FD_Br62 (p < 0.001). Fleiss' kappa was 0.618 (0.594-0.641; p < 0.001), indicating substantial interrater reliability. In this study, we demonstrate that considerable dose reduction can be realized while maintaining diagnostic image quality in upper extremity joint scans with the cone-beam CT mode of a twin robotic x-ray system. Application of sharper convolution kernels for image reconstruction facilitates superior display of bone microarchitecture.

An image fusion system for corrective osteotomy of distal radius malunion

Background

To provide surgical support for corrective osteotomy, we developed an image fusion system for three-dimensional (3D) preoperative planning and fluoroscopy. To assess the utility of this image fusion system, we evaluated the reproducibility of preoperative planning for corrective osteotomy of dorsally angulated distal radius malunion using the system and compared reproducibility without using the system.

Methods

Ten wrists from 10 distal radius malunion patients who underwent corrective osteotomy were evaluated. 3D preoperative planning and the image fusion system were used for the image fusion group (n = 5). Only 3D preoperative planning was used for the control group (n = 5). 3D preoperative planning was performed for both groups in order to assess reduction, placement, and the choice of implants. In the image fusion group, the outline of the planned image was displayed on a monitor and overlapped with fluoroscopy images during surgery. Reproducibility was evaluated using preoperative plan and postoperative 3D images. Images were compared with the 3D coordinates of the radial styloid process (1), the volar and dorsal edges of the sigmoid notch (2) (3), and the barycentric coordinates of the three reference points. The reproducibility of the preoperative plan was evaluated by the distance of the coordinates between the plan and postoperative images for the reference points.

Results

The distances between preoperative planning and postoperative reduction in the image fusion group were 2.1 ± 1.1 mm, 1.8 ± 0.7 mm, 1.9 ± 0.9 mm, and 1.4 ± 0.7 mm for reference points (1), (2), (3), and the barycenter, respectively. The distances between preoperative planning and postoperative reduction in the control group were 3.7 ± 1.0 mm, 2.8 ± 2.0 mm, 1.7 ± 0.8 mm, and 1.8 ± 1.2 mm for reference points (1), (2), (3), and the barycenter, respectively. The difference in reference point (1) was significantly smaller in the image fusion group than in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Corrective osteotomy using an image fusion system will become a new surgical support method for fracture malunion.

Trial registration Registered as NCT03764501 at ClinicalTrials.gov.

A modified intrafocal pinning technique with three-dimensional planning to facilitate volar plating in dorsally comminuted AO/OTA C2 and C3 distal radius fractures

Backgrounds

Theaim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a modified intrafocal pinningtechnique with three-dimensional (3D) planning to facilitate volar plating in dorsally comminuted intra-articular distal radius fractures.

Methods

Intotal 35 AO/OTA type C2 and C3 fractures were finally included.The 3D digital model of the fracture was reconstructed based on preoperative computedtomographic (CT) images, with the displacement of the comminuted dorsalfragment and the intra-articular fragment analyzed for preoperative planning. During operation, amodified intrafocal pinning technique was applied percutaneously from thedorsal aspect of the radius to reduce the collapsed intra-articular fragmentfollowing volar plating. Adequate reduction was confirmed in all of patientsconsidering radial height, radial inclination and volar tilt in postoperativeradiographs.

Results

No significant fracture re-displacement wasobserved in most of the cases during a mean follow-up period of 17.4 months, exceptfor two patients withthe C3 fracture. All of the patients achieved adequate clinicalROMs at 12 months postoperatively, with a mean DASH score of 12.0. Most of the patients achievedan excellent (n = 21) or good (n = 12) Gartland and Werley wrist score.

Conclusions

Ourmodified intrafocal pinning technique with 3D planning contributes to a satisfactoryclinical and radiological outcome in dorsally comminuted intra-articular distalradius fractures fixed with a volar locking plate.

Trialregistration

Notapplicable because the design of the study is retrospective.