Article

Computer-assisted surgical (CAS) planning tools are available for craniofacial
surgery, but are usually based on computer-aided design (CAD) tools that lack the
ability to detect the collision of virtual objects (i.e., fractured bone
segments). We developed a CAS system featuring a sense of touch (haptic) that
enables surgeons to physically interact with individual, patient-specific anatomy
and immerse in a three-dimensional virtual environment. In this study, we
evaluated initial user experience with our novel system compared to an existing
CAD system. Ten surgery resident trainees received a brief verbal introduction to
both the haptic and CAD systems. Users simulated mandibular fracture reduction in
three clinical cases within a 15 min time limit for each system and completed a
questionnaire to assess their subjective experience. We compared standard
landmarks and linear and angular measurements between the simulated results and
the actual surgical outcome and found that haptic simulation results were not
significantly different from actual postoperative outcomes. In contrast, CAD
results significantly differed from both the haptic simulation and actual
postoperative results. In addition to enabling a more accurate fracture repair,
the haptic system provided a better user experience than the CAD system in terms
of intuitiveness and self-reported quality of repair.

Langue : ANGLAIS