Application of A CT/CAD/CAE System to Preoperative Planing and Post-Operative Estimation of Vertebroplasty

The vertebroplasty is a low-invasive method for treatment that has been applied in cases of spine p athological changes. The method considerably reduces the feelin g of pain and increases mechanical strength of the ill-change d vertebral bodies. The aim of the paper is to determine stiffn ess of vertebral bodies after vertebroplasty by means of radiologica l examination, computer aided design (CAD) and compute r aided engineering (CAE) systems. The treatment method has been verified in patients with angiomata in the lumbar sp ine. In a CAD system a vertebra with pathological changes has b modeled two times i. e. before operation and after the process of vertebral body filling with cement. Two patients with angiomata in L1 vertebra have been analyzed. The stiffness ch aracteristics of vertebral bodies after cement injection show that the secondary lesion in the cement vicinity is highly u nlikely, which proves the usefulness of the vertebroplasty, during which the mechanical strength of the treated vertebral body i ncreases. The computer methods applied allow for determination of the stiffness of vertebral bodies before and after the surgery, respectively. The results obtained enable objective assessment the vertebroplasty.