Stryker Navigation

SpineMap 3D Spine Navigation Software

What is it?

Surgical navigation provides surgeons with information on the exact position of instrumentation and the precise location of surgical implants during surgery. SpineMap 3D Navigation Software, together with Stryker’s navigation camera and wireless, active instrumentation, can assist surgeons in accurately placing pedicle screw implants in a wide array of spine procedures, including spinal fusion surgeries to alleviate pain caused by degenerative disc disease, trauma, arthritis or scoliosis. The pedicle is a dense, stem-like structure that extends out from the back of each side of a vertebra and provides a means of gripping a spinal segment. The screws themselves do not fixate the spinal segment, but act as firm anchor points that can then be connected with a rod.

How is it used?

Prior to surgery, the SpineMap 3D software uses computerized tomography (CT) scans of the patient’s spine to build a virtual, three-dimensional mapping system. A surgeon can use this model to plan the details of surgery including the optimum size and location of the pedicle screws. In the operating room, the surgeon uses special instrumentation to match defined points on the 3D model to the patient’s true anatomy, a process known as registration. With registration complete, the navigation camera tracks the movement of the navigated instruments and displays images of these instruments on the 3D model. This enables the surgeon to pinpoint the location of the instruments and implants relative to the patient’s anatomy throughout the procedure.

How is it innovative?

SpineMap 3D software can integrate with the latest 3D intraoperative imaging platforms. This capability eliminates the need for a preoperative CT scan and replaces the manual patient registration process with a more accurate automatic patient registration method, saving valuable time in the OR and enhancing precision. The software also gives the surgeon the option to merge a preoperative CT with an intraoperative scan (if the anatomy has not changed between the two scans), providing greater accuracy of automatic registration and improved image quality for navigation. This technique provides a unique advantage over the competition, especially when navigating areas of the spine where visualization and image quality are not favorable.

How does it help our customers?

Preoperative planning features help maximize efficiency in the OR. SpineMap also helps surgeons feel more confident when operating near delicate anatomy such as the spinal cord, vertebral arteries and nerve roots and assist with accurate pedicle screw placement. Because SpineMap allows surgeons to operate using a CT scan, they do not have to take multiple x-rays throughout a procedure, which reduces radiation exposure to the patient and hospital staff. In addition, automatic registration requires smaller incisions, so surgeons can use minimally invasive (MI) approaches. Once trained in navigation, procedures once deemed too risky become not only possible but safer, making this approach the new gold standard for this and future generations of spine surgeons. SpineMap 3D software is truly a surgeon’s partner for precision.