Pathologies in the joint regions are common especially among elderly patients; they are caused, in many cases, by shocks applied on the cartilage layer cushioning between bones. The consequences of this deterioration can be serious and affect the proper function of the joint. Cases where hip and knee begin to lose cartilage are very frequent and often require treatment.
Computer-Assisted Joint Replacement Software
RSIP Vision has developed a software package based on sophisticated computer vision algorithms and the most advanced image processing techniques to aid in the modelling process with a very high anatomic precision. Commonly, the designed models are very close to be as precise as the resolution of the CT allows. Our software performs segmentation of the bones using the CT volume. The main challenge of this segmentation is given by the difficulty to identify the border between bone and cartilage, which is difficult to distinguish. We solve this challenge by utilizing the Hounsfield units, gradients and shape structure into an optimization algorithm to trace the edges between soft tissue, cartilage and bones. Our software is able, in a few minutes, to delimit edges and complete the segmentation, which otherwise would have taken hours for an expert physician to complete. Additionally, anatomical landmarks are detected and utilized in the fitting process. Current work on the next generation of RSIP Vision’s computer-assisted joint replacement software package are based on deep learning techniques, already show promising results.