Surgical Navigation in Orthopaedic Oncology: Promise or Peril?

Ernest U. "Chappie" Conrad III, M.D., Professor
Randal P. Ching, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor & Lab Director, Applied Biomechanics Laboratory
Kenneth R. Gundle, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgery Resident

Orthopaedic oncologists help care for patients with tumors of the bones and soft tissues, which are generally called sarcomas. Surgical treatment often consists of accurate tumor removal with an appropriate margin of uninvolved tissue, followed by a reconstruction that maximizes patient function. So-called 'surgical navigation', these are developing technologies which allow 3D intraoperative localization, based on advanced imaging studies. In this Grand Rounds, orthopaedic surgeons from the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital explain this technology and discuss their experience utilizing surgical navigation in patient care, as well as their collaboration with researchers from the Applied Biomechanics Laboratory to study the accuracy and impact of these systems.