Improving patient outcomes and diagnostic accuracy with advanced imaging techniques
In both pre- and post-orthopaedic care, the precision of imaging is essential. It’s needed for visualising the details of bone structures, ligaments, and surgical implants, enabling surgeons to make informed decisions that significantly impact a patient’s treatment path and overall health.
However, the presence of image artifacts in X-rays can pose complex challenges. These artifacts are distortions or errors that appear in the imaging data, often obscuring anatomical details and leading to potential misdiagnoses or suboptimal treatment plans.
Understanding image artifacts
In X-ray imaging, distortions of anatomical details caused by factors such as metal implants, patient movement, and improper imaging techniques. These artifacts, including ring, streak, and cupping artifacts, can obscure bone structures and implants, affecting diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
The importance of detecting image artifacts
Detecting image artifacts is vital for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Artifacts can lead to misdiagnoses, unnecessary interventions, and overlooked issues, which can compromise patient care and increase the risk of complications. For medical practices, undetected artifacts often necessitate repeat imaging, driving up costs and exposing patients to additional radiation. By accurately identifying and correcting these distortions, healthcare providers can ensure clearer and more reliable images. This enables better-informed treatment plans, fewer surgical complications, and ultimately, enhanced patient outcomes and cost-efficiency in medical practices.
Challenges of accurate imaging in pre-orthopaedic care
Challenges in obtaining clear imaging include metal artifacts from implants, patient movement during the scan, and limitations in imaging techniques. These issues can distort anatomical details and obscure important structures, making it difficult for surgeons to obtain the detailed and precise information needed for effective pre- and post- orthopaedic care. However, advanced technologies and improved imaging methods can help overcome these challenges and enhance image clarity.
Reducing image artifacts in pre-and post-operative care
As we’ve seen, achieving clear imaging in orthopaedic care can be challenging, but with the right technologies and practices, overcoming these issues can be made easier.
Techniques and best practices for reducing artifacts in pre- and post-operative imaging include:
- Patient positioning and preparation – proper positioning and ensuring patient stability can significantly reduce motion artifacts. Supports or restraints, along with instructing the patient on stillness and steady breathing, are essential.
- Photon-counting CT – this technology enhances image clarity by counting individual X-ray photons, reducing noise, and improving contrast resolution. It offers higher spatial resolution and is less susceptible to artifacts, making it ideal for detailed orthopaedic imaging.
- Software algorithms – advanced algorithms can detect and correct artifacts in real-time, adjusting for patient movement and metal artifacts, providing clearer images for accurate diagnosis and surgical planning.
- Adjustments in imaging protocols – tailoring protocols to accommodate metal presence, such as adjusting scan angles, energy levels, or using specific filters, can reduce artifacts.
- Specialised imaging techniques – dual-energy CT helps differentiate between metal and bone, reducing artifacts caused by metal implants and providing clearer images of the bone-implant interface.
Benefits of artifact reduction
Enhanced monitoring with clearer images significantly improves the ability to track the healing process, ensuring proper implant integration with the bone and facilitating the early detection of complications. By reducing artifacts, it becomes easier to identify issues like implant loosening or bone resorption early on, allowing for timely intervention.
Accurate post-surgery imaging ensures the best possible care, leading to better recovery and overall quality of life for patients. By implementing these advanced imaging technologies and best practices, healthcare providers can greatly enhance the quality of orthopaedic care, from pre-operative planning to post-operative recovery.
The role of MARS Bioimaging in reducing image artifacts
MARS Bioimaging leverages cutting-edge technology to significantly reduce image artifacts, particularly in orthopaedic imaging. Our advanced detector technology, developed at CERN, utilises photon counting — a substantial improvement over traditional energy-integrating detectors.
MARS Bioimaging also excels in spatial resolution, which is critical for orthopaedic care. The detectors used by MARS provide a resolution of about 100 microns (0.1 millimetres), compared to the 500 microns (0.5 millimetres) typical of standard CT scanners.
MARS Bioimaging’s systems collect significantly more data than traditional CT scanners. By utilising advanced software and statistical analysis, MARS can differentiate between true anatomical features and artifacts, ensuring that the observations made during imaging are accurate and actionable.
Benefits for orthopaedic care
- Clearer pre-operative imaging – surgeons benefit from more precise images, reducing the need for contingencies and improving surgical planning.
- Accurate post-operative monitoring – reduced artifacts allow for better monitoring of implant integration and early detection of complications.
- Improved patient outcomes – patients experience better surgical outcomes and fewer follow-up procedures due to the high-quality imaging provided by MARS technology.
By reducing artifacts commonly caused by metal implants and other factors, MARS enhances diagnostic accuracy and improves patient outcomes.
If you’d like to see MARS technology in action for pre- and post-operative care, get in touch and we’ll arrange a demo.