ArthroPlanner: A Surgical Planning Solution for Acromioplasty

Introduction Subacromial impingement of the rotator cuff between the anterior [1] or lateral acromion [2] and the superior humeral head is a common disorder. This condition arises when the subacromial space height is too narrow during active elevation or scaption of the arm above shoulder level due to an abnormal hooked shape or large lateral extension of the acromion.

In severe cases of impingement syndrome, an arthroscopic acromioplasty surgery is usually performed to resect the different area of the acromion causing damage to the subacromial structures. The exact location and the amount of bone to be resected is generally left to the unique appreciation of the orthopedic surgeon during surgery. To improve the precision of this resection, surgeons could greatly benefit from a surgical planning solution that aims at providing precise information about the surgical procedure. Moreover, since subacromial impingements are the result of a dynamic mechanism, an effective planning solution should analyze both the morphological joint's structures and its dynamic behavior during shoulder movements to fully apprehend the patient joint's condition.

Computer-assisted planning solution "ArthroPlanner" for acromioplasty is nowadays available. The solution allows to perform standard morphological bony measurements, as well as 3D simulations of the patient's joint during everyday shoulder activities. The software computes the precise bone resection (location and amount) based on detected subacromial impingements during motion.

The goal of this study was thus to compare clinical and radiological results of superior rotator cuff repair with or without computer-assisted planning. The hypothesis was that preoperative planning of acromioplasty would allowed more accurate bone resection, would decrease postoperative impingements and consequently improved postoperative range of motion and tendon healing.

Methods