Imaging System Makes Back Surgery Safer, Faster, Less Expensive

Researchers at Dartmouth have found a way to make back surgery safer, faster, and more cost effective. MRIs and CT scans can help surgeons identify spine problems such as compressed vertebrae or herniated disks. But finding a clear path to those problem areas is not always straightforward. Tissue and bone not only stand in the way, they can also move during spinal surgery, rendering a CT scan taken prior to surgery much less accurate. To solve this problem, Dartmouth professors from the Thayer School of Engineering and Geisel School of Medicine developed a 3-dimensional, real-time optical tracking system to guide back surgeons as they operate — like a Google Maps for the body.