Computer-Assisted Surgery Not More Precise? (Orthopedics This Week)
Duncan Meuffels M.D., Ph.D. is an orthopedic surgeon at the University Medical Centre Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Even he was surprised by the findings of his recent study, “Computer-Assisted Surgery [CAS] is not more accurate or precise than conventional arthroscopic ACL reconstruction: a prospective randomized clinical trial.” Asked what led him to select this topic for study, Dr. Meuffels told OTW, “In my sports medicine practice I treat many patients with anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] injuries, who in general can return to their original sport. There are however, some patients who do less well and are not as satisfied with their reconstruction. The literature shows that mal-positioning of the new ACL graft is the reason for failure after an ACL reconstruction in 4 out 5 cases. I had already used computer-assisted surgery for some time for total knee replacement and had seen its potential in neurosurgery. Computer-assisted surgery gives the surgeon an extra feedback and could have additional value in choosing the right tunnel position for the ACL graft. The possibility to template before you actually positi...
