Wirbelsäulenverletzungen und Unfallfolgezustände.

The aim of computer-assisted navigation procedures is to increase the anatomical orientation intraoperatively, to improve the accuracy, to minimize the invasiveness and to reduce the emission of radiation. In the field of orthopedic surgery navigation has been used for over 15 years and these techniques are particularly widely used in spinal surgery. There are three major applications of navigation: CT-based (computed tomography) navigation which needs a preoperative CT scan, 2D navigation which is based on standard X-ray images of a C-arm during surgery and 3D navigation which requires an intraoperatively performed C-arm based 3D scan. Higher accuracy has been proven for instrumentation of the lumbar and cervical spine and reduced emission of radiation could be demonstrated. Higher accuracy for pedicle screw insertions of the thoracic spine is still not proven in prospective studies with sufficient numbers of pedicle screws. Navigation systems provide additional information for better anatomical orientation in spinal surgery and can reduce intraoperative fluoroscopy time. Intraoperative 3D scan technology with automatic registration is the perfect tool in spinal surgery today. Knowledge of the classical techniques remains crucial for the safety of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]