Haptic simulator for training of Total Knee Replacement

This paper presents a novel orthopaedic surgery simulator, capable of analyzing, processing and displaying medical images. These newly added capabilities allows the reconstruction of multiple three-dimensional models, and their integration into a virtual environment. The main contribution of this work is the development of a new mixed graphical model (surface and volumetric) that allows simulation of bone machining in real time. The application incorporates haptic technology to improve the user´s immersion through 3D-3D collision detection. It is important to mention that all the developments presented in this paper are based on open source software. The simulation tool consists of two stages: first, computerized tomographies (CT) of a joint are analyzed and displayed, allowing for intraoperative 3D section planning to be established; during the second stage, the user integrates information from the different objects previously generated from the sectioned bones to interact with virtual models of tools and prothesis. Force rendering is computed using both the surface model and volumetric models. Although the simulator developed has some added features, this paper addresses only the simulation of bone cutting and prothesis manipulation in a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery intervention.