Imageless Navigation System Guides Orthopedic Surgeons

A three-dimensional (3D) mini-optical navigation system provides accurate intraoperative information during surgery.

The intellijoint Surgical (Waterloo, ON, Canada) HIP is intended for use during total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures, providing surgeons vital intraoperative measurements to help establish proper cup position, equalization of leg length, and restoration or maintenance of offset and joint center of rotation. The correct alignments are imperative to prevent complications such as dislocation, revision, leg length discrepancies, and readmissions. Intellijoint HIP is suitable for anterior, lateral, and posterior THA surgical approaches, and can be used with all major implant vendors.

The imageless guidance system is based on a miniature camera and tracker that do not interfere with surgical workflow. The measurements are not affected by patient movement and anatomical variations, and are designed to complement a surgeon’s expertise. Envelope parameters include cup position angles to within less than one degree for inclination and anteversion; leg length measurements within 0.3-0.9 mm; and offset measurements within 0.5 mm of set targets. The average added operating room (OR) time is only 2.9 minutes.

“Intellijoint HIP provides offset and leg length determination, in conjunction with acetabular positioning, and allows you to fine tune these rather than guessing and using different landmarks,” said orthopedic surgeon Professor Wayne Paprosky, MD, of Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL, USA). “I see this as a potential game changer, as you can use the information provided by intellijoint HIP to combine reducing leg length discrepancy as well as prevent dislocation. You can have your cake and eat it too.”

“A miniature camera provides 3D information to surgeons in real time. As the surgeon is orienting the implant that goes into the pelvis, they have a readout that tells them what their angles of orientation are. They don’t have to guess or use their intuition,” said Armen Bakirtzian, CEO and co-founder of Intellijoint Surgical. “The device helps surgeons align the cup, which replaces the patient’s socket, and can also help them choose the appropriate implant. If the patient’s leg length is done the right way, it leads to fewer re-hospitalizations, fewer revisions, fewer issues of back pain, less physiotherapy, and less medication.”

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