Surgical Navigation Tool Provides X-ray Vision During Shoulder Replacement

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - Feb. 12, 2019 - EntSun -- Shoulder arthritis can cause substantial asymmetric erosion of the shoulder socket. As a result, the socket orientation can change relative to the shoulder blade allowing the ball to shift out the back. During shoulder replacement, these changes must be corrected to reorient the socket and recenter the ball. Because the shoulder joint is surrounded by muscles and tendons, the surgeon has a very limited view which prevents an accurate assessment of how this correction can be achieved.

Exactech, Inc., an implant company in Gainesville Florida has introduced an intraoperative surgical navigation tool called GPS or Guided Personalized Surgery. This technology allows the surgeon to perform a virtual surgery on a preoperative CT scan of the arthritic shoulder to determine the best implant and its optimal placement to restore normal anatomy. This plan can then be brought into the surgery where a computer and camera system can link to "intelligent" surgical tools that guide the surgeon so that the plan can be replicated ensuring an accurate reconstruction.

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Dr. Moby Parsons, a fellowship trained shoulder surgeon at the Knee, Hip and Shoulder Center in Portsmouth New Hampshire is one of the principle design surgeons on this project. According to Dr. Parsons, "GPS effectively gives the surgeon x-ray vision allowing a much more accurate joint replacement than can be done with conventional instruments." Parsons and other members of the design team have extensively researched and validated this technology, demonstrating its ability to improve the accuracy of implant placement, particularly in difficult cases with more severe socket erosion. Parsons adds, "We strongly believe that better implant placement will improve the long-term outcomes of shoulder replacement by reducing the likelihood of complications such as premature loosening and instability." Dr. Parsons has been using the GPS system for a year and half at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, the only hospital in New Hampshire to currently offer this advanced technology.

Parsons was recently inducted into the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, recognizing his commitment to research education and surgical excellence in this field. Furthermore, he recently hosted a panel discussion at the New England Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Annual Meeting about computer-assisted shoulder replacement. Parsons will be presenting his research at the national level this March during the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting. Along with the product development team from Exactech, Inc. and his other surgical colleagues, he continues to refine this technology and extend its capabilities. Parsons concludes, "With the technology available today, eyeballing it in the OR is no longer enough. We owe it to our patients to make every surgery as precise as possible for the sake of improved outcomes both short and long term."

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Dr. Parsons operates at Portsmouth Regional Hospital and sees patients in his practice at the Knee, Hip and Shoulder Center. For more information visit www.orthopedicsnh.com.