Mechanical Axis Alignment Using MRI Imaging

• US 20100217109A1
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belcher, Nathan E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence

Abstract

A method of imaging a body part of a patient can include acquiring a first, second and third sets of image data from a first, second and third anatomical reference areas. The first, second and third sets of image data can then be compiled to produce a legend of the body part. The legend can have positional information of the first, second and third anatomical reference areas. A fourth, fifth and sixth sets of image data of the first, second and anatomical reference areas can be acquired. The fourth, fifth and sixth sets of image data can have increased image information relative to the first, second and third sets of image data, respectively. The locations of the fourth, fifth and sixth sets of image data relative to the first, second and third sets of image data can be correlated using the legend to determine a characteristic of the body part.

Claims

1. A method of imaging a body part of a patient, the method comprising:

locating a first, a second and a third anatomical reference area of the body part, the second anatomical reference area disposed generally between the first and third anatomical reference areas;

acquiring a first, a second and a third set of image data from the first, second and third anatomical reference areas, respectively;

compiling the first, second and third sets of image datas to produce a legend having known positional information of the first, second and third anatomical reference areas relative to each other;

acquiring a fourth, a fifth and a sixth set of image data of the first, second and third body parts, respectively, the fourth, the fifth and the sixth sets of image data having increased image information relative to the first, second and third sets of image data, respectively;

correlating locations of the fourth, fifth and sixth sets of image data relative to the first, second and third sets of image data using the map; and

determining a characteristic of the body part based on the correlating.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ensuring the body part of the patient remains still during the acquiring of the first, second and third sets of image data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

moving the patient relative to the table between the acquiring of the third and fourth set of image data.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising at least one of:

moving the patient relative to the table between the acquiring of the fourth and fifth set of image data; and

moving the patient relative to the table between the acquiring of the fifth and sixth set of image data.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the fifth set of image data comprises using a send/receive imaging coil.

2. The method of claim 2 wherein acquiring the first, second and third set of image data comprises:

acquiring only ten or less images for each of the first, second and third sets of image data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein acquiring the first, second and third set of image data comprises:

acquiring only five or less images for each of the first, second and third sets of image data.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein two of the only ten or less images from at least one of the first, second and third sets of image data are planar images on intersecting planes.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

performing a localizer scan on each of the first, second and third anatomical reference areas prior to acquiring the first, second and third sets of image data.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the fifth set of image data is a bulk image scan of the second anatomical reference area comprising a greater quantity of image scans compared to corresponding image scans acquired with the second set of image data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the fourth and sixth set of image scans each comprise a greater quantity of image scans compared to the image scans acquired with the first and third sets of image data, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first, second and third anatomical reference areas are an ankle, knee and hip, respectively.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the characteristic of the body part is a mechanical axis of a tibia and femur, respectively, relative to the knee.

14. A method of imaging a body part of a patient, the method comprising:

acquiring a first, a second and a third set of image data from an ankle, knee and hip, respectively;

compiling the first, second and third sets of image datas to produce a legend of the body part, the map having positional information of the ankle, knee and hip relative to each other, wherein each of the first, second and third sets of image data consists of less than five planar images for each of the first, second and third sets of image data;

acquiring a fourth, a fifth and a sixth set of image data of the first, second and third body parts, respectively, the fourth, fifth and sixth sets of image data each having more image information relative to the first, second and third sets of image data, respectively;

correlating locations of the fourth, fifth and sixth set of image data relative to the first, second and third sets of image data using the legend; and

determining a characteristic of the body part based on the correlating.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

performing a localizer scan on each of the ankle, knee and hip prior to acquiring the first, second and third sets of image data.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the fifth set of image data is a bulk image scan of the knee acquired with a send/receive imaging coil.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the characteristic of the body part is a mechanical axis of a tibia and femur, respectively, relative to the knee.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising at least one of:

moving the patient relative to the table between the acquiring of the third and fourth set of image data;

moving the patient relative to the table between the acquiring of the fourth and fifth set of image data; and

moving the patient relative to the table between the acquiring of the fifth and sixth set of image data.

19. A method of imaging a body part of a patient, the method comprising:

locating an ankle, knee and hip of the body part;

securing the patient to a table and restraining the patient to the table, such that the patient'"'"'s ankle, knee and hip are all immobilized relative to the table;

acquiring a first, second and third sets of image data from the ankle, knee and hip, respectively;

compiling the first, second and third sets of image data to produce a legend of the body part, the legend having known positional information of the first, second and third anatomical reference areas relative to each other;

acquiring a fourth image data set of the ankle while the patient is immobilized relative to the table in a first position;

allowing the patient to move relative to the table to a second position if desired;

acquiring a fifth image data set of the knee while the patient is immobilized in a third position;

allowing the patient to move to a fourth position relative to the table if desired;

acquiring a sixth image data set of the hip while the patient is immobilized in a fifth position;

moving the patient to a sixth position relative to the table;

correlating locations of the fourth, fifth and sixth sets of image data relative to the first, second and third sets of image data using the map; and

determining a mechanical axis of a tibia and femur, respectively, relative to the knee based on the correlating.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first and second positions are distinct, the third and fourth positions are distinct, and the fifth and sixth positions are distinct.