Introduction
TKA (total knee arthroplasty) is one of the most common surgical procedures for knee osteoarthritis. TKA is one of the most challenging surgeries in orthopedics. Surgeons need to have extensive experience and good understanding of the anatomy. During surgery, the surgeon has to take care about the positioning of the limb, soft tissue balance, and other factors to achieve a good surgical effect. For young inexperienced surgeons, TKA is a challenge. Therefore, AR-VR based surgical simulation is an ideal surgical training tool.
Complex cases of knee osteoarthritis with Varus or Valgus deformity need extensive presurgical planning for better outcome which could otherwise result in in complications like prolonged operative time, major surgical injury, unsatisfactory recovery, and poor post-operative results.
Advancements in orthopedic surgical interventions
As orthopedic surgery becomes more complex, there are more preoperative planning tools and intraoperative guidance tools in the market. The goal of these tools is to improve accuracy. Unfortunately, the accuracy of these tools is not as good as that of conventional imaging and navigation systems, which usually display information on 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional screens. In addition, additional equipment has to be placed outside of the surgical field. Such disturbances may distract the surgeons’ attention, which in turn affects the performance.
As orthopedic surgical technology advances, mechanical guides like 3D modeling and 3D printing guides can be used for intraoperative navigation in TKA. Unfortunately, these mechanical guides do not meet the demands of accuracy in practice, and in some cases, the operation is more laborious.
Computer navigation can aid in better positioning of the lower limbs and meet the demands of accuracy, but its high cost is a major obstacle to its widespread use. During the procedure, the surgeon needs to keep shifting his vision from the operative site to the computer screen. This requires tedious technical training.
Current technology
In recent years, several cutting-edge technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), have been rapidly adopted in the surgical field. These technologies not only change the way surgeons think, operate, and act but also provide them with the technical support they need for personalized precision surgery.
AR and MR have been used in clinics and have demonstrated great benefits. MR is seen as a combination of the benefits of VR and AR. It overlays 3D virtual images created by the computer onto the user’s real-world view, without the need for extra equipment to be operated on during the operation. This directly covers information in situ, allowing surgeons to remain connected to the real world without distraction and realize accurate surgery based on real-time guidance from 3D virtual images.
Currently, this technology is being used in the surgical procedures such as liver Surgery, vertebral compression fracture surgery, total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, achieving good intraoperative assistance and good post-operative results.
Conclusion
Presently, the field of orthopedics is embracing AR-VR technology with great enthusiasm, recognizing its vast potential. In particular, the orthopedic domain places significant emphasis on leveraging this technology for intraoperative navigation during replacement procedures.
These studies have also confirmed the usefulness of AR technology for joint replacement. It can provide more precise osteotomy guidance as well as prosthesis implant navigation.
Currently, the primary body of technology used is AR technology. The application of MR technology is still rare, which is a combination of both VR and AR technology. ARVR-Sol facilitates the integration of novel medical device innovations by providing healthcare professionals with real-time, immersive experiences through our distinctive VR training platform.