Abstract
Point-of-care MARS imaging systems address the needs of orthopaedic clinicians by providing high-resolution imaging of bone structure (cortical and trabecular detail) and the bone-metal interface (orthopaedic implants), soft tissue differentiation (ligaments and tendons) and bone composition (calcium and bone oedema). Point-of-care scanning for better patient access combined with excellent imaging characteristics will result in a more predictable outcome for orthopaedic patients.
The two most common diagnostic tools used in orthopaedics are CT (multislice and cone beam) and MRI. CT typically has good spatial resolution for diagnosing conditions of the bone and joint, and cone beam CT is often available at point-of-care for scanning extremities. However, CT suffers from poor soft tissue differentiation and lacks information pertaining to bone quality. MRI provides detailed images of soft tissues but is slow, has poor spatial resolution, and cannot be used for patients with either claustrophobia or metallic implants. Moreover, the infrastructure and cost required to install latest-generation CT and MRI systems typically prevent availability of this technology in regional hospitals and smaller medical centres, reducing patient accessibility.
Spectral photon-counting CT (SPCCT), embodied in MARS scanners, works to address the above-mentioned limitations of imaging in orthopaedics. Firstly, similar to cone beam CT, the technique is available at point-of-care in compact scanners, reducing cost and improving patient access. Secondly, SPCCT has higher spatial resolution (~100 um) than standard CT (300 um), thus providing enhanced bone imaging. Finally, the spectral nature of the data offers improved soft tissue contrast (ligaments and tendons), bone quality measures (calcium maps and bone oedema) and bone-metal interface imaging.