[3D-planning and guided hip and pelvic surgery].

BACKGROUND

Different conditions among all age groups, from toddlers to adults, require surgical procedures at the hip and pelvis. Well-established techniques are complex in planning and execution and currently rely mostly on two-dimensional pre- and intraoperative imaging, resulting in potential imprecision and outcome variability. Inadequate correction carries a considerable risk for recurring symptoms requiring revision surgery.

CASE EXAMPLES: In this case series, we present three patient examples using three-dimensional imaging and their application to explore the chances these modalities offer for pre-operative planning and intraoperative referencing and navigation in routine and complex interventions. All three cases showed precise corrections and satisfactory postoperative follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS

To minimize inaccuracies and enable broader use in clinical practice, we therefore recommend further research to develop standardized protocols for the use of these supportive modalities with the aim of reducing the risk of recurrence or early coxarthrosis and thus improving long-term health-related quality of life in the spirit of patient-specific medicine. Due to the lack of specific data to date, the increase in precision and its long-term impact still need to be demonstrated for widespread use in routine clinical practice.