Introduction

The simulator allows to perform a post-operative check to verify the correct implantation of a femoral prosthesis. The control has a clinical value, as to estimate the permitted range of motion the typical flexion and intrarotation movements are simulated, and legal, since the surgeon can show the outcome to the patient in a quantitative manner.

Technical features

The simulator consists of several phases, through which it is possible to estimate the numerical values of the movement ranges starting from 2D images in DICOM format. The first step is segmentation, i.e. the identification of regions of interest, femoral prosthesis and pelvis in this case, followed by the reconstruction of the respective 3D models exploiting the marching cubes algorithm. The next step, entrusted to the surgeon who is however supported by a user-friendly modelling environment, is the rotation center of prosthesis setting. Once these operations are performed, it is possible to simulate the movement of the prosthesis on the pelvis and to identify their collision surfaces through a collision detection algorithm. Finally the simulator shows the numerical values and highlights the collision surface, to understand if the prosthesis is at risk of dislocation due to a wrong implant and not due to a bad use.

Possible Applications

• Post-operative control of a femoral prosthesis implant through the analysis of typical movement ranges;
• Legal support to cope with cases of dislocation due to improper use of the prosthesis and not to a bad implant;
• Diagnostic evaluation for prosthesis control.

Advantages

• Quantification of the outcome of a femoral prosthesis implant operation;
• Possibility for the surgeon to promptly guide the patient in the correct use of the prosthesis;
• Possibility to plan a corrective action in case of wrong installation.