Like a car's global positioning system (GPS), computer-assisted surgical navigation helps orthopedic surgeons get their bearings. A navigation system receives and transmits data about joint surfaces and placement of implants, displaying the information on a computer screen where the surgeon can view it. An image from the BrainLab VectorVision navigation…
Patients having hip replacement surgery can in rare cases develop bone cement implantation syndrome (BCIS). In 5 out of 6 reports of the syndrome received by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority the patient died from cardiac arrest associated with the implantation of the new prosthesis. Though use of cement for…