Can Na18F PET/CT bone scans help when deciding if early intervention is needed in patients being treated with a TSF attached to the tibia: insights from 41 patients.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the usefulness of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) bone scans for gaining insight into healing bone status earlier than CT or X-ray alone. METHODS: Forty-one prospective patients being treated with a Taylor Spatial Frame were recruited. We registered data obtained from successive static CT scans for each patient, to align the broken bone. Radionuclide uptake was calculated over a spherical volume of interest (VOI). For all voxels in the VOI, histograms and cumulative distribution functions of the CT and PET data were used to assess the type and progress of new bone growth and radionuclide uptake. The radionuclide uptake difference per day between the PET/CT scans was displayed in a scatter plot. Superimposing CT and PET slice data and observing the spatiotemporal uptake of 18F- in the region of healing bone by a time-sequenced movie allowed qualitative evaluation. RESULTS: Numerical evaluation, particularly the shape and distribution of Hounsfield Units and radionuclide uptake in the graphs, combined with visual evaluation and the movies enabled the identification of six patients needing intervention as well as those not requiring intervention. Every revised patient proceeded to a successful treatment conclusion. CONCLUSION: Numerical and visual evaluation based on all the voxels in the VOI may aid the orthopedic surgeon to assess a patient's progression to recovery. By identifying slow or insufficient progress at an early stage and observing the uptake of 18F- in specific regions of bone, it might be possible to shorten the recovery time and avoid unnecessary late complications.

Accuracy and precision of a CT method for assessing migration in shoulder arthroplasty: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) is the gold standard to measure early implant migration which is a predictive factor for implant survival. PURPOSE: To validate an alternative computed tomography (CT) technique to measure implant migration in shoulder arthroplasty. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cadaver proximal humerus and a scapula, which had tantalum beads incorporated within them, were prepared to accept a short-stemmed humeral component and a two-pegged glenoid component of a commercial total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) system. A five degree of freedom micrometer and goniometer equipped rig was used to translate and rotate the implant components relative to the respective bone to predetermined positions. Double CT examinations were performed for each position and CT motion analysis software (CTMA) was used to assess these movements. The accuracy and precision of the software was estimated using the rig's micrometers and goniometers as the gold standard. The technique's effective dose was also assessed. RESULTS: The accuracy was in the range of 0.07-0.23 mm in translation and 0.22-0.71° in rotation. The precision was in the range of 0.08-0.15 mm in translation and 0.23-0.54° in rotation. The mean effective dose for the CT scans was calculated to be 0.27 mSv. CONCLUSION: In this experimental setting, accuracy, precision, and effective dose of the CTMA technique were found to be comparable to that of RSA. Therefore, we believe clinical studies are warranted to determine if CTMA is a suitable alternative to traditional RSA for migration measurements in TSA.

Prosthetic liner wear in total hip replacement: a longitudinal 13-year study with computed tomography.

This case report follows a woman who had a total hip replacement in 1992 when she was 45 years old. Six serial computed tomography (CT) examinations over a period of 13 years provided information that allowed her revision surgery to be limited to liner replacement as opposed to replacement of the entire prosthesis. Additionally, they provided data that ruled out the presence of osteolysis and indeed none was found at surgery. In 2004, when the first CT was performed, the 3D distance the femoral head had penetrated into the cup was determined to be 2.6 mm. By 2017, femoral head penetration had progressed to 5.0 mm. The extracted liner showed wear at the thinnest part to be 5.5 mm, as measured with a micrometer. The use of modern CT techniques can identify problems, while still correctable without major surgery. Furthermore, the ability of CT to assess the direction of wear revealed that the liner wear changed from the cranial to dorsal direction.

Can Spatiotemporal Fluoride (18F-) Uptake be Used to Assess Bone Formation in the Tibia? A Longitudinal Study Using PET/CT.

BACKGROUND: When a bone is broken for any reason, it is important for the orthopaedic surgeon to know how bone healing is progressing. There has been resurgence in the use of the fluoride (18F-) ion to evaluate various bone conditions. This has been made possible by availability of positron emission tomography (PET)/CT hybrid scanners together with cyclotrons. Absorbed on the bone surface from blood flow, 18F- attaches to the osteoblasts in cancellous bone and acts as a pharmacokinetic agent, which reflects the local physiologic activity of bone. This is important because it shows bone formation indicating that the bone is healing or no bone formation indicating no healing. As 18F- is extracted from blood in proportion to blood flow and bone formation, it thus enables determination of bone healing progress. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether videos showing the spatiotemporal uptake of 18F- via PET bone scans could show problematic bone healing in patients with complex tibia conditions. A secondary objective was to determine if semiquantification of radionuclide uptake was consistent with bone healing. METHODS: This study investigated measurements of tibia bone formation in patients with complex fractures, osteomyelitis, and osteotomies treated with a Taylor Spatial FrameTM (TSF) by comparing clinical healing progress with spatiotemporal fluoride (18F-) uptake and the semiquantitative standardized uptake value (SUV). This procedure included static and dynamic image acquisition. For intrapatient volumes acquired at different times, the CT and PET data were spatially registered to bring the ends of the bones that were supposed to heal into alignment. To qualitatively observe how and where bone formation was occurring, time-sequenced volumes were reconstructed and viewed as a video. To semiquantify the uptake, the mean and maximum SUVs (SUVmean, SUVmax) were calculated for the ends of the bones that were supposed to heal and for normal bone, using a spherical volume of interest drawn on the registered volumes. To make the semiquantitative data comparable for all patients with multiple examinations, the SUVmean and SUVmax difference per day (SUVmeanDPD and SUVmaxDPD) between the first PET/CT scan and each subsequent one was calculated. Indicators of poor healing progress were (1) uneven distribution of the radionuclide uptake between ends of the bones that were supposed to heal as seen in the video or, (2) low absolute magnitude of the SUV difference data. Twenty-four patients treated between October 2013 and April 2015 with a TSF gave informed consent to be examined with 18F- PET/CT bone scans. Twenty-two patients successfully completed treatment, one of whom had only one PET/CT scan. RESULTS: Observation of 18F- uptake was able to identify three patients whose healing progress was poor, indicated by uneven distribution of radionuclide uptake across the ends of the bones that were supposed to heal. An absolute magnitude of the SUVmaxDPD of 0.18 or greater indicated good bone formation progress. This was verified in 10 patients by the days between the operation to attach and to remove the TSF being less than 250 days, whereas other SUVmaxDPD values were ambiguous, with 11 patients achieving successful completion. CONCLUSIONS: Observation of the spatiotemporal uptake of 18F- appears to be a promising method to enable the clinician to assess the progress of bone formation in different parts of the bone. Bone uptake which is uneven across the ends of bone that were supposed to heal or very low bone uptake might indicate impaired bone healing where early intervention may then be needed. However, semiquantification of 18F- uptake (SUVmaxDPD), SUVmeanDPD) was ambiguous in showing consistency with the bone-healing progress. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study.

A new automated way to measure polyethylene wear in THA using a high resolution CT scanner: method and analysis.

As the most advantageous total hip arthroplasty (THA) operation is the first, timely replacement of only the liner is socially and economically important because the utilization of THA is increasing as younger and more active patients are receiving implants and they are living longer. Automatic algorithms were developed to infer liner wear by estimating the separation between the acetabular cup and femoral component head given a computed tomography (CT) volume. Two series of CT volumes of a hip phantom were acquired with the femoral component head placed at 14 different positions relative to the acetabular cup. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the diameter of the acetabular cup and femoral component head, in addition to the range of error in the expected wear values and the repeatability of all the measurements, were calculated. The algorithms resulted in a mean (± SD) for the diameter of the acetabular cup of 54.21 (± 0.011) mm and for the femoral component head of 22.09 (± 0.02) mm. The wear error was ± 0.1 mm and the repeatability was 0.077 mm. This approach is applicable clinically as it utilizes readily available computed tomography imaging systems and requires only five minutes of human interaction.

Can Na18F PET/CT be used to study bone remodeling in the tibia when patients are being treated with a Taylor Spatial Frame?

Monitoring and quantifying bone remodeling are of interest, for example, in correction osteotomies, delayed fracture healing pseudarthrosis, bone lengthening, and other instances. Seven patients who had operations to attach an Ilizarov-derived Taylor Spatial Frame to the tibia gave informed consent. Each patient was examined by Na(18)F PET/CT twice, at approximately six weeks and three months after the operation. A validated software tool was used for the following processing steps. The first and second CT volumes were aligned in 3D and the respective PET volumes were aligned accordingly. In the first PET volume spherical volumes of interest (VOIs) were delineated for the crural fracture and normal bone and transferred to the second PET volume for SUVmax evaluation. This method potentially provides clinical insight into questions such as, when has the bone remodeling progressed well enough to safely remove the TSF? and when is intervention required, in a timelier manner than current methods? For example, in two patients who completed treatment, the SUVmax between the first and second PET/CT examination decreased by 42% and 13%, respectively. Further studies in a larger patient population are needed to verify these preliminary results by correlating regional Na(18)F PET measurements to clinical and radiological findings.

In vivo and ex vivo measurement of polyethylene wear in total hip arthroplasty: comparison of measurements using a CT algorithm, a coordinate-measuring machine, and a micrometer.

BACKGROUND: Determination of the amount of wear in a polyethylene liner following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is important for both the clinical care of individual patients and the development of new types of liners. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We measured in vivo wear of the polyethylene liner using computed tomography (CT) (obtained in the course of regular clinical care) and compared it to coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) readings. Also, changes in liner thickness of the same retrieved polyethylene liner were measured using a micrometer, and were compared to CT and CMM measurements. The distance between the centers of the acetabular cup and femoral head component was measured in 3D CT, using a semi-automatic analysis method. CMM readings were performed on each acetabular liner and data were analyzed using 3D computer-aided design software. Micrometer readings compared the thickest and thinnest regions of the liner. We analyzed 10 THA CTs and retrievals that met minimal requirements for CT slice thickness and explanted cup condition. RESULTS - For the 10 cups, the mean difference between the CT readings and the CMM readings was -0.09 (-0.38 to 0.20) mm. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.6). Between CT and micrometer, the mean difference was 0.11 (-0.33 to 0.55) mm. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.6). INTERPRETATION - Our results show that CT imaging is ready to be used as a tool in clinical wear measurement of polyethylene liners used in THA.

Motion analysis of total cervical disc replacements using computed tomography: preliminary experience with nine patients and a model.

BACKGROUND: Cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) is an alternative to anterior fusion. Therefore, it is desirable to have an accurate in vivo measurement of prosthetic kinematics and assessment of implant stability relative to the adjacent vertebrae. PURPOSE: To devise an in vivo CT-based method to analyze the kinematics of cervical total disc replacements (CTDR), specifically of two prosthetic components between two CT scans obtained under different conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine patients with CTDR were scanned in flexion and extension of the cervical spine using a clinical CT scanner with a routine low-dose protocol. The flexion and extension CT volume data were spatially registered, and the prosthetic kinematics of two prosthetic components, an upper and a lower, was calculated and expressed in Euler angles and orthogonal linear translations relative to the upper component. For accuracy analysis, a cervical spine model incorporating the same disc replacement as used in the patients was also scanned and processed in the same manner. RESULTS: Analysis of both the model and patients showed good repeatability, i.e. within 2 standard deviations of the mean using the 95% limits of agreement with no overlapping confidence intervals. The accuracy analysis showed that the median error was close to zero. CONCLUSION: The mobility of the cervical spine after total disc replacement can be effectively measured in vivo using CT. This method requires an appropriate patient positioning and scan parameters to achieve suitable image quality.

Validation of a 3D CT method for measurement of linear wear of acetabular cups.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the accuracy and repeatability of a 3D method for polyethylene acetabular cup wear measurements using computed tomography (CT). We propose that the method be used for clinical in vivo assessment of wear in acetabular cups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene cups with a titanium mesh molded on the outside were subjected to wear using a hip simulator. Before and after wear, they were (1) imaged with a CT scanner using a phantom model device, (2) measured using a coordinate measurement machine (CMM), and (3) weighed. CMM was used as the reference method for measurement of femoral head penetration into the cup and for comparison with CT, and gravimetric measurements were used as a reference for both CT and CMM. Femoral head penetration and wear vector angle were studied. The head diameters were also measured with both CMM and CT. The repeatability of the method proposed was evaluated with two repeated measurements using different positions of the phantom in the CT scanner. RESULTS: The accuracy of the 3D CT method for evaluation of linear wear was 0.51 mm and the repeatability was 0.39 mm. Repeatability for wear vector angle was 17°. INTERPRETATION: This study of metal-meshed hip-simulated acetabular cups shows that CT has the capacity for reliable measurement of linear wear of acetabular cups at a clinically relevant level of accuracy.

Role of fusion of prone FDG-PET and magnetic resonance imaging of the breasts in the evaluation of breast cancer.

The purpose of this study is to report further about the statistically significant results from a prospective study, which suggests that fusion of prone F-18 Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) breast scans increases the positive predictive value (PPV) and specificity for patients in whom the MR outcome alone would be nonspecific. Thirty-six women (mean age, 43 years; range, 24-65 years) with 90 lesions detected on MR consented to undergo a FDG-PET scan. Two blinded readers evaluated the MR and the computer tomography (CT) attenuation-corrected prone FDG-PET scans side-by-side, then after the volumes were superimposed (fused). A semiautomatic, landmark-based program was used to perform nonrigid fusion. Pathology and radiologic follow-up were used as the reference standard. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy (with 95% confidence intervals) for MR alone, FDG-PET alone, and fused MR and FDG-PET were calculated. The median lesion size measured from the MR was 2.5 cm (range, 0.5-10 cm). Histologically, 56 lesions were malignant, and 15 were benign. Nineteen lesions were benign after 20-47 months of clinical and radiologic surveillance. The sensitivity of MR alone was 95%, FDG-PET alone was 57%, and fusion was 83%. The increase in PPV from 77% in MR alone to 98% when fused and the increase in specificity from 53% to 97% were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The false-negative rate on FDG-PET alone was 26.7%, and after fusion this number was reduced to 9%. FDG-PET and MR fusions were helpful in selecting which lesion to biopsy, especially in women with multiple suspicious MR breast lesions.

A new technique for diagnosis of acetabular cup loosening using computed tomography: preliminary experience in 10 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Considerable migration of the acetabular cup is required for diagnosis of loosening by conventional radiography. We have developed a new clinically applicable method for assessment of cup loosening using computed tomography (CT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 10 patients scheduled for revision hip replacement due to suspected wear or loosening were scanned twice with CT under torsion loading of the prosthesis. Two independent examiners assessed each patient with respect to motion of the acetabular cup relative to the pelvis using CT volume registration. The CT measurements were compared to findings at revision surgery. RESULTS: The method was applicable in 8 of the 10 patients. 1 patient had a severe tremor. In 1 patient, surgery revealed that the hip was ankylotic due to massive ectopic bone formation. This left 8 patients that could be evaluated. 4 cups were loose at surgery, and 3 of these cups could be seen to be mobile by CT. 4 cups that were stable on revision were accurately diagnosed as not being mobile by CT. Movements of less than 1 millimeter between bone and prosthesis could not be distinguished from errors in CT acquisition and volume registration. There was good agreement between the two observers. INTERPRETATION: Movement of loose acetabular cups during torsion loading could be detected using CT volume registration. It was sensitive to cup movement in 3 out of 4 cases of loose cups. The method was specific and yielded no false positive results.

Motion Analysis in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis With Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: A Feasibility Study of the 3DCT Technique Comparing Laminectomy Versus Bilateral Laminotomy.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized radiologic biomechanical pilot study in vivo. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study was to evaluate if 3-dimensional computed tomography is a feasible tool in motion analyses of the lumbar spine and to study if preservation of segmental midline structures offers less postoperative instability compared with central decompression in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The role of segmental instability after decompression is controversial. Validated techniques for biomechanical evaluation of segmental motion in human live subjects are lacking. METHODS: In total, 23 patients (mean age, 68 y) with typical symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging findings of spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis (>3 mm) in 1 or 2 adjacent lumbar levels from L3 to L5 were included. They were randomized to either laminectomy (LE) or bilateral laminotomy (LT) (preservation of the midline structures). Documentation of segmental motion was made preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively with CT in provoked flexion and extension. Analyses of movements were performed with validated software. The accuracy for this method is 0.6 mm in translation and 1 degree in rotation. Patient-reported outcome measures were collected from the Swespine register preoperatively and 2-year postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean preoperative values for 3D rotation and translation were 6.2 degrees and 1.8 mm. The mean increase in 3D rotation 6 months after surgery was 0.25 degrees after LT and 0.7 degrees after LE (P=0.79) while the mean increase in 3D translation was 0.15 mm after LT and 1.1 mm after LE (P=0.42). Both surgeries demonstrated significant improvement in patient-reported outcome measures 2 years postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The 3D computed tomography technique proved to be a feasible tool in the evaluation of segmental motion in this group of older patients. There was negligible increase in segmental motion after decompressive surgery. LE with removal of the midline structures did not create a greater instability compared with when these structures were preserved.

Improving specificity of breast MRI using prone PET and fused MRI and PET 3D volume datasets.

UNLABELLED: MRI is a sensitive method for detecting invasive breast cancer, but it lacks specificity. To examine the effect of combining PET with MRI on breast lesion characterization, a prototype positioning device was fabricated to allow PET scans to be acquired in the same position as MRI scans--that is, prone. METHODS: To test the hypothesis that fusion of (18)F-FDG PET and MRI scans improves detection of breast cancer, 23 patients with suspected recurrent or new breast cancer underwent a routine whole-body PET scan, a prone PET scan of the chest, and a routine breast MRI scan. The attenuation-corrected prone PET and MRI datasets were registered twice by different operators. The fusion results were judged for quality by visual inspection and statistical analysis. A joint reading of the MRI and PET scans side by side and integrated images was performed by a nuclear medicine physician and a radiologist. Sensitivity and specificity of MRI and combined MRI and PET scans were calculated on the basis of pathology reports or at least 1 y of clinical and radiologic follow-up. RESULTS: All fusions were verified to be well matched using specific anatomic criteria. A total of 45 lesions was assessed. Lesion size range was 0.6 to 10.0 cm. Of the 44 breasts examined, 29 were suspicious for cancer, of which 15 were found to be positive on surgical excision. In lesion-by-lesion analysis, sensitivity and specificity of MRI alone were 92% and 52%, respectively; after MRI and PET fusion, they were 63% and 95%, respectively. The positive predictive value and the negative predictive value for MRI alone were 69% and 85%, respectively; after MRI and PET fusion, they were 94% and 69%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Acquisition of prone PET scans using the new positioning device permitted acquisition of prone scans suitable for fusion with breast MRI scans. Fused PET and MRI scans increased the specificity of MRI but decreased the sensitivity in this small group of patients. Additional data are needed to confirm the statistical significance of these preliminary findings.

Prone mammoPET acquisition improves the ability to fuse MRI and PET breast scans.

PURPOSE: This study compared prone acquisition of PET scans with traditional supine acquisition to improve fusion of PET scans with MRI scans and improve evaluation of enhancing breast lesions detected on MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI breast scans are acquired in the prone position using a breast coil to allow the breasts to hang pendant. An apparatus was fabricated to allow prone acquisition of PET scans. Fused scans from 2 patients acquired both prone and supine were contrasted with those from 3 patients acquired supine only. All 5 MRI scans were acquired on standard scanners. The PET scans were acquired with a PET/CT unit using a low-dose CT scan for attenuation correction. The PET and MRI volumes were matched twice (using a semiautomated registration method) by different operators. The additional value of fusion was judged using reports from the original (nonfused) MRI and PET, joint rereading of the volumes side by side, and examination of fused images. RESULTS: Of 12 enhancing lesions on breast MRI, 7 demonstrated uptake on PET/CT. In the 3 supine-only cases, the fused images were not interpretable because of the marked distortion of the breasts. In the 2 prone cases, the fused images increased our confidence in characterizing a lesion as benign or malignant. Interpretations were confirmed by clinical follow up in 2 or histologic results in 3 patients. CONCLUSIONS: PET MRI fusion is feasible and may assist in localizing lesions detected on either study. A more extensive study is underway to confirm the value of this fusion technique.

Are CT Scans a Satisfactory Substitute for the Follow-Up of RSA Migration Studies of Uncemented Cups? A Comparison of RSA Double Examinations and CT Datasets of 46 Total Hip Arthroplasties.

As part of the 14-year follow-up of a prospectively randomized radiostereometry (RSA) study on uncemented cup fixation, two pairs of stereo radiographs and a CT scan of 46 hips were compared. Tantalum beads, inserted during the primary operation, were detected in the CT volume and the stereo radiographs and used to produce datasets of 3D coordinates. The limit of agreement between the combined CT and RSA datasets was calculated in the same way as the precision of the double RSA examination. The precision of RSA corresponding to the 99% confidence interval was 1.36°, 1.36°, and 0.60° for X-, Y-, and Z-rotation and 0.40, 0.17, and 0.37 mm for X-, Y-, and Z-translation. The limit of agreement between CT and RSA was 1.51°, 2.17°, and 1.05° for rotation and 0.59, 0.56, and 0.74 mm for translation. The differences between CT and RSA are close to the described normal 99% confidence interval for precision in RSA: 0.3° to 2° for rotation and 0.15 to 0.6 mm for translation. We conclude that measurements using CT and RSA are comparable and that CT can be used for migration studies for longitudinal evaluations of patients with RSA markers.

A CT method for following patients with both prosthetic replacement and implanted tantalum beads: preliminary analysis with a pelvic model and in seven patients.

BACKGROUND: Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) is often used for evaluating implanted devices over time. Following patients who have had tantalum beads implanted as markers in conjunction with joint replacements is important for longitudinal evaluation of these patients and for those with similar implants. As doing traditional RSA imaging is exacting and limited to specialized centers, it is important to consider alternative techniques for this ongoing evaluation. This paper studies the use of computed tomography (CT) to evaluate over time tantalum beads which have been implanted as markers. METHODS: The project uses both a hip model implanted with tantalum beads, acquired in several orientations, at two different CT energy levels, and a cohort of seven patients. The model was evaluated twice by the same observer with a 1-week interval. All CT volumes were analyzed using a semi-automated 3D volume fusion (spatial registration) tool which provides landmark-based fusion of two volumes, registering a target volume with a reference volume using a rigid body 3D algorithm. The mean registration errors as well as the accuracy and repeatability of the method were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean registration error, maximum value of repeatability, and accuracy for the relative movement in the model were 0.16 mm, 0.02° and 0.1 mm, and 0.36° and 0.13 mm for 120 kVp and 0.21 mm, 0.04° and 0.01 mm, and 0.39° and 0.12 mm for 100 kVp. For the patients, the mean registration errors per patient ranged from 0.08 to 0.35 mm. These results are comparable to those in typical clinical RSA trials. This technique successfully evaluated two patients who would have been lost from the cohort if only RSA were used. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed technique can be used to evaluate patients with tantalum beads over time without the need for stereoradiographs. Further, the effective dose associated with CT is decreasing.

Accuracy and Precision of Three-Dimensional Low Dose CT Compared to Standard RSA in Acetabular Cups: An Experimental Study.

Background and Purpose. The gold standard for detection of implant wear and migration is currently radiostereometry (RSA). The purpose of this study is to compare a three-dimensional computed tomography technique (3D CT) to standard RSA as an alternative technique for measuring migration of acetabular cups in total hip arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. With tantalum beads, we marked one cemented and one uncemented cup and mounted these on a similarly marked pelvic model. A comparison was made between 3D CT and standard RSA for measuring migration. Twelve repeated stereoradiographs and CT scans with double examinations in each position and gradual migration of the implants were made. Precision and accuracy of the 3D CT were calculated. Results. The accuracy of the 3D CT ranged between 0.07 and 0.32 mm for translations and 0.21 and 0.82° for rotation. The precision ranged between 0.01 and 0.09 mm for translations and 0.06 and 0.29° for rotations, respectively. For standard RSA, the precision ranged between 0.04 and 0.09 mm for translations and 0.08 and 0.32° for rotations, respectively. There was no significant difference in precision between 3D CT and standard RSA. The effective radiation dose of the 3D CT method, comparable to RSA, was estimated to be 0.33 mSv. Interpretation. Low dose 3D CT is a comparable method to standard RSA in an experimental setting.

Evaluation of mobility and stability in the Discover artificial disc: an in vivo motion study using high-accuracy 3D CT data.

OBJECT: Artificial disc replacement (ADR) devices are unlike implants used in cervical fusion in that they are continuously exposed to stress not only within the implant site but also at their site of attachment to the adjacent vertebra. An imaging technique with higher accuracy than plain radiography and with the possibility of 3D visualization would provide more detailed information about the motion quality and stability of the implant in relation to the vertebrae. Such high-accuracy studies have previously been conducted with radiostereometric analysis (RSA), which requires implantation of tantalum markers in the adjacent vertebrae. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo motion and stability of implanted artificial discs. A noninvasive analysis was performed with CT, with an accuracy higher than that of plain radiographs and almost as high as RSA in cervical spine. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with ADR were included from a larger cohort of a randomized controlled trial comparing treatment of cervical radiculopathy with ADR or anterior cervical decompression and fusion. Surgical levels included C4-7; 18 patients had 1-level surgery and 10 patients had 2-level surgery. Follow-up time ranged from 19 to 50 months, with an average of 40 months. Two CT volumes of the cervical spine, 1 in flexion and 1 in extension, were obtained in each patient and then spatially registered using a customized imaging tool, previously used and validated for the cervical spine. Motion between the components in the artificial disc, as well as motion between the components and adjacent vertebrae, were calculated in 3 planes. Intraclass correlation (ICC) between independent observers and repeatability of the method were also calculated. RESULTS: Intrinsic motion, expressed as degrees in rotation and millimeters in translation, was detectable in a majority of the ADRs. In the sagittal plane, in which the flexion/extension was performed, sagittal rotation ranged between 0.2° and 15.8° and translation between 0.0 and 5.5 mm. Eight percent of the ADRs were classified as unstable, as motion between at least 1 of the components and the adjacent vertebra was detected. Five percent were classified as ankylotic, with no detectable motion, and another 8% showed very limited motion due to heterotopic ossification. Repeatability for the motion in the sagittal plane was calculated to be 1.30° for rotation and 1.29 mm for translation (95% confidence level), ICC 0.99 and 0.84, respectively. All 3 patients with unstable devices had undergone 1-level ADRs at C5-6. They all underwent revision surgery due to increased neck pain, and instability was established during the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the artificial discs in this study showed intrinsic mobility several years after implantation and were also shown to be properly attached. Implant instability was detected in 8% of patients and, as all of these patients underwent revision surgery due to increasing neck pain, this might be a more serious problem than heterotopic bone formation.

A New CT Method for Assessing 3D Movements in Lumbar Facet Joints and Vertebrae in Patients before and after TDR.

This study describes a 3D-CT method for analyzing facet joint motion and vertebral rotation in the lumbar spine after TDR. Ten patients were examined before and then three years after surgery, each time with two CT scans: provoked flexion and provoked extension. After 3D registration, the facet joint 3D translation and segmental vertebral 3D rotation were analyzed at the operated level (L5-S1) and adjacent level (L4-L5). Pain was evaluated using VAS. The median (±SD) 3D movement in the operated level for the left facet joint was 3.2 mm (±1.9 mm) before and 3.5 mm (±1.7 mm) after surgery and for the right facet joint was 3.0 mm (±1.0 mm) before and 3.6 mm (±1.4 mm) after surgery. The median vertebral rotation in the sagittal plane at the operated level was 5.4° (±2.3°) before surgery and 6.8° (±1.7°) after surgery and in the adjacent level was 7.7° (±4.0°) before and 9.2° (±2.7°) after surgery. The median VAS was reduced from 6 (range 5-8) to 3 (range 2-8) in extension and from 4 (range 2-6) to 2 (range 1-3) in flexion.