The Basic Orthopaedic Principle and the Non Invasive Intelligent Orthopaedic Guide Concept

The development of a computer based orthopaedic surgical system, with a clear surgical application and a commercial objective, requires the identification of the orthopaedic surgical principle it aims to solve. Other requirements of such a system include: its perceived advantages, its surgically acceptable format and the issues that will be encountered during its development. This paper identifies and expands on a basic principle in orthopaedic surgery and introduces a surgical technology concept, “the non invasive intelligent orthopaedic guide”, to assist in implementing the basic orthopaedic principle. The prototype of this guide will be demonstrated and is currently in use in the CAOS projects. The guide’s perceived advantages, the issues involved in its development, the options considered during its development, and the stages of its development are outlined in this paper.