Technology improvements for image-guided and minimally invasive spine procedures

This paper reports on technology developments aimed at improving the state of the art for image-guided minimally invasive spine procedures. Back pain is a major health problem with serious economic consequences. Minimally invasive procedures to treat back pain are rapidly growing in popularity due to improvements in technique and the substantially reduced trauma to the patient versus open spinal surgery. Image guidance is an enabling technology for minimally invasive procedures, but technical problems remain that may limit the wider applicability of these techniques. The paper begins with a discussion of low back pain and the potential shortcomings of open back surgery. The advantages of minimally invasive procedures are enumerated, followed by a list of technical problems that must be overcome to enable the more widespread dissemination of these techniques. The technical problems include improved intraoperative imaging, fusion of images from multiple modalities, the visualization of o...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: TITB
• Authors: Kevin Cleary, Mark Clifford, Dan Stoianovici, Matthew T. Freedman, Seong K. Mun, Vance Watson
• Keywords: Invasive Procedures, Minimally Invasive, Technical Problems, TITB 2002