Materialise launches SurgiCase Orthopaedics for complex reconstructive bone procedures

Oct 5 2010

Putting an end to the search for a tool that will allow orthopaedic surgeons craft patient-specific solutions to extraordinary cases, Materialise is announcing the launch of SurgiCase(R) Orthopaedics. It's a comprehensive service that centers on the use of CT/MRI images in virtual surgical planning, the construction of cutting and drill guides individualized to fit the patient, and physical patient models. Here at last is the opportunity for a surgeon to try out multiple approaches to complex reconstructive bone procedures before he or she sets foot in the operating room.

The process starts with SurgiCase(R) Connect, an interactive tool that puts the surgeon in contact with Materialise's skilled clinical engineers. The first step is uploading CT/MRI images and other case data to the application. After the engineer has converted the images into virtual 3D models of the bone, the surgeon can examine them from various angles. The two work as a team to brainstorm the best possible surgical plan from among a variety of possibilities. The engineer will then design unique surgical guides along with a physical 3D model of the pathology for delivery to the surgeon.

The benefits of virtual pre-operative planning are enormous. It allows the surgeon to experiment with several solutions without ever picking up an instrument. That kind of preparation is invaluable for shortening the intervention period, and reducing the time spent in the OR, as well as the resulting costs. The surgeon may also find that operations that couldn't be performed with conventional techniques are well within the realm of possibility. He or she will be able to predict the outcome of complex procedures more accurately, too.

With the development of surgical drill and cutting guides, Materialise has taken another huge step towards putting custom tools into the hand of orthopaedic surgeons. These new, innovative products, which provide a unique fit onto the bone, are the means for transferring the virtual treatment plan to the operating room. Because they're constructed prior to surgery, they both negate the need for extensive intra-operative decision-making and minimize the margin of error. Several patents are pending; the guides are FDA- and CE-approved.

SOURCE Materialise N.V.