Surgeons use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible for patients who require surgery. These less intrusive surgical approaches improve outcomes and recovery times for many medical issues. Minimally invasive surgeries are performed through one or more small incisions. The surgeon uses a camera and special surgical tools to explore and treat the problem.
Visualization of Bony Fractures
The use of FD Fluoroscopes enables surgeons to visualize the position of surgical instruments and their relation to the bone during a procedure. This technology helps reduce surgery time and minimizes tissue damage, decreasing postsurgical pain and complications. Using a flat detector, the X-rays can be recorded with a lower dose and higher speed than conventional fluoroscopes. Additionally, more modern fluoroscopes, like Orthoscan FD fluoroscope, has a larger field of view than standard c-arms. During a procedure, the Orthoscan FD can help surgeons detect fracture location and alignment as well as the proximity of the artery laterally and brachial artery medially. This information is vital for determining the quality of fracture reduction and positioning of implants. Incorrect implant positioning or poor fracture reduction can lead to complications such as nerve or vessel damage and may necessitate revision surgery. In addition, these kind of imaging can identify vascular channels and unfused bone centers that mimic a fracture on US examination. These conditions require additional treatment to ensure good healing and prevent post-traumatic symptoms.
Evaluation of Bone Alignment
Fluoroscopy and c-arm x-ray units help with many orthopedic procedures, including bone fracture repair, and dislocated joints. It wasn’t designed for this, at least initially. To start fluoroscopy was developed to overcome insufficiencies of standard X-ray film and image intensifier systems. Flat detector technology offers higher absorption efficiency, direct digital readout at multiple images per second, and a more comprehensive dynamic range. With this in mind, it seemed only natural to employ FD design for intra-operative CT imaging as well – and that’s what has happened with C-arm systems. Patient’s rejoice, they get more accurate treatment.
Evaluation of Bone Reduction
FD (flat-detector) technology was developed to replace standard X-ray film and image intensifiers in radiography and fluoroscopy. It offers higher absorption efficiency, a more comprehensive dynamic range, and faster digital readout, enabling the acquisition of several images per second. If your fractured bone is mildly displaced, your healthcare provider may use a closed reduction method to set it without making an incision. This involves gently moving, twisting, and pulling the bone to set it in anatomic alignment before covering it with a cast or splint. Suppose you have spinal stenosis, a condition that narrows the spaces in your spine and can compress nerves. In that case, your healthcare provider may use fluoroscopy to inject contrast material into your body to assess the situation. This can help identify areas of compression and guide procedures to remove bone and soft tissue that are causing them. In addition, FD fluoroscopes have features that help to reduce radiation exposure to you and your healthcare provider.
Evaluation of Bone Fixation
In the past, closed reduction and internal fixation were evaluated by palpation, followed by the transfer of patients to radiology to obtain postreduction films. With the advent of portable fluoroscopy, surgeons have been able to evaluate the fracture fragments and their fixation intraoperatively. This has eliminated the need to transfer the patient and may reduce procedure times, resource utilization, risk of infection, and costs. After sterile preparation and draping, interventional radiologists, under real-time fluoroscopic guidance, placed titanium self-drilling/self-tapping cannulated screws through the pathologic fractures of the pelvic bones. Before percutaneous screw placement, cone-beam CT was performed to delineate the appropriate screw trajectory. During fluoroscopic navigation, ad-hoc augmentation tools can display calculated information on a live or still image to enhance the value of 2D fluoroscopy in orthopedic surgery.
