Workspace Derivation of Arthroscope Using Morphological Data and Standard Portal Placement Method for Shoulder Arthroscopy

Abstract

Robotic arthroscopy is a potential alternative surgery method because the use of robotic arthroscope manipulators could ensure a constant quality of view that would enhance the workflow of the operator. To achieve this advancement, a workspace derivation for the movement of the arthroscope in the human joint is needed. There is a key requirement for workspace derivation of the arthroscope: the workspace should incorporate all the essential observation sites to ensure a suitable field of view during an arthroscopic surgery for various patients. The workspace could be delineated via workspace measurements on various patients or cadavers; however, this would be an arduous process. Herein, we propose a workspace derivation using morphological measurement data of various human shoulder joints for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, which is a typical operation in arthroscopy. First, we present the geometrical modeling of the human shoulder joint using morphological parameters and standard portal placement methods. Second, the morphological measurement data of the human joint are substituted for the parameters to determine the workspace required for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. As a result, we obtain the location of each portal and the workspace of the arthroscope via the portals that incorporate all the essential observation sites. We verify the derived workspace through several cadaveric tests. For all the experimental results, it was confirmed that the 95th percentile of the range of motion was formed within the workspace obtained using the proposed method. The results verify that the proposed method is feasible for arthroscopy.