The cross-sectional image guided Ilizarov frame positioning for the surgery planning of lower extremity deformity correction

A Windows based interactive graphical computer program is developed to provide a vision of positioning the Ilizarov frames for lower extremity deformity correction surgery. The program retrieves the preoperative planning data created from the authors' LegPerfect/sup TM/ program and plots the planning results on the screen. At the same time, it loads a pre-obtained cross-sectional image at the level of selected ring position. The selected ring is overlaid on this image centered on the approximated bone axis. The user can work on this graphical environment to move the ring on top of the cross-sectional image and install the wires on the ring. Together with the authors' preoperative planning program, this program can give better vision on how to accomplish optimal ring and wire positioning.