Digitale Planung an der Klinik für Traumatologie und Orthopädie in Riga, Lettland

The Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics in cooperation with University of Latvia has been using the mediCAD® digital planning solution since late 2007.
Before then, they planned operations using the traditional method of analog templates and pencils. When they switched from analog to digital radiographs, they also moved into digital planning.

Digital planning is essential

Today, they would never consider using the old method again. Without digital planning, hip and knee operations and revisions would be exceedingly difficult. Particularly with young patients, being able to determine the correct angles and axes of defective leg or hip positions is essential for osteotomy procedures. But digital planning is also useful for complex operations on the spinal column.

At a glance:

• Digital planning of approximately 2.000 operations each year
• Hip, knee, and spinal column operations, plus osteotomies
• Exceptionally high accuracy with selective enlargement of the radiograph
• Mirroring of the hip centerpoint for highly deformed or destroyed joints
• Automatic documentation of planning
• Standardization of operations with the program

Documentation and standardization of every operation

According to Dr. Sergejs Zadorožnijs, who directs both the hospital’s research as well as the arthroplasty register in addition to these planning-related benefits of mediCAD®, two other characteristics are particularly important in Riga: First, documentation of the planning steps associated with digital planning. Up to now, this has not been mandated in Latvia. So automatic documentation that does not require any action on behalf of the surgeon is a special benefit. Secondly, the program guides the surgeon through each step of the operation during the planning phase. According to Dr. S. Zadorožnijs: “This ensures that all operations are performed in a standardized way. This is a major requirement for achieving a uniformly high level of quality.”

The hospital performs approximately 45% of all orthopedic operations in Latvia. This equals approximately 2.000 operations every year, about 200 of which are revisions. mediCAD® is installed on fifteen PCs, together with Agfa Impacs.

The full report can be downloaded here as PDF file … here download