Patent ID: 7837621

Claim:
Utilizing a computer system comprising at least one input device, at least one output device, at least one storage device, and at least one suitably-programmed computer, a method of generating and carrying out an updated surgical plan for application to an anatomical bone, the method comprising: (a) generating in at least one suitably-programmed computer a three dimensional (3D) model of the anatomical bone, wherein the 3D model is based on: (1) one or more two dimensional (2D) images of the anatomical bone, the said 2D images being input into the computer system by means of at least one input device, and (2) a 3D bone template, chosen from a set of 3D bone templates stored in at least one storage device, to which a free form deformation is applied, wherein the 3D model is generated in the at least one suitably-programmed computer by successively comparing at least one 2D anatomical bone image with at least one view of the 3D bone template, computing an associated error, and optimizing 3D bone template free form deformation parameters to minimize said error, (b) based on the 3D model, generating in at least one suitably-programmed computer a surgical plan including: (1) one or more locations on the anatomical bone upon which to dispose one or more fixators, and (2) one or more settings of one or more struts of the one or more fixators, (c) outputting the surgical plan by means of at least one output device; (d) based on the surgical plan, disposing the one or more fixators on the anatomical bone, (e) based on data associated with the placement of the one or more fixators disposed on the anatomical bone, the said data being input into the computer system by means of at least one input device, generating in at least one suitably-programmed computer an updated surgical plan including updated settings for one or more of the one or more struts; (f) outputting the updated surgical plan by means of at least one output device; and (g) based on the updated surgical plan, adjusting at least one setting of a strut of at least one fixator.