Total Ankle Replacement Digital Templating Method

Abstract

Total ankle replacement (TAR) requires a step in the pre-surgery planning procedure that can help in determining the most suitable size for the implant. In recent years, digital implants of a size that is suitable for the patient have been widely used in the process of joint replacement surgery for hip and knee joints. Many patients have experienced traumatic damage to the ankle joint, and pre-surgery planning is currently still at the stage of using acetate templates and radiographs, which can cause errors in the surgical procedure. Therefore, a method of determining the implant size by trial and error needs to be developed so that pre-surgical planning can be implemented effectively. In this study, the Orthopaedic-TAR (OrthoAnkle) system is developed using Java software and is supported by Adobe Photoshop. This system allows a surgeon to determine the size of the implant effectively. The components involved in ankle joint replacement are Hintegra implants, designed using AutoCAD. In this way, the size of the Hintegra implant is determined based on the damage to the patient's ankle joint. DICOM X-ray images for several patients were randomly selected to test the accuracy and effectiveness of the size of the implant. A suitable size of implant can facilitate the surgical procedure and reduce damage to the implant after surgery. The results of this study, and particularly the model constructed here, contribute to the templating of digital implants for total ankle replacement. The results of the prototype test show a good response and a high level of effectiveness.