Systems and methods for estimating anatomic alignment between two or more bones are described herein. An example method can include registering an anatomic reference frame. Additionally, the method can include establishing a respective rotational relationship between each of one or more bones and an orientation sensor attached to each of the one or more bones. The method can also include receiving, from each of the orientation sensors, orientation information, and then calculating an orientation of a bone relative to the anatomic reference frame. The method can further include calculating, using the respective orientations of the bones relative to the anatomic reference frame, an anatomic alignment parameter between first and second bones.

A measurement device suitable to measure a force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system is disclosed. The measurement module includes a unitary circuit board that couples electronic circuitry to sensors. In one embodiment, the sensors are integrated in the unitary circuit board. Using more than one sensor allows the position of applied load by the muscular-skeletal system to be measured. In one embodiment, the sensors of a sensor array can be elastically compressible capacitors. A load plate can underlie the sensor array. Similarly, a load plate can overlie the load plate. Load plates are rigid structures for distributing a force, pressure, or load. The measurement device can include an articular surface for allowing movement of the muscular-skeletal system. A remote system can be in proximity to the measurement device. The remote system can receive, process, and display data from the measurement module in real-time.

A system for detecting nonunion or malunion fractures can include an implant, a sensor, and a controller. The implant can be securable to a bone of a patient in a location near a fracture of the bone. The sensor can be connectable to the implant and can be configured to produce a sensor signal based on a condition of the implant near the fracture. The controller can be configured to determine a nonunion or malunion of the fracture based on the sensor signal.

Provided are bone quality and/or strength measuring devices. In some embodiments, the devices include a body and a detector disposed therein designed to interact with a bone, determine the quality and/or strength thereof, and communicate an evaluation thereof to a user. The presently disclosed devices can also include a torque and/or force sensor that facilitates placement of the device and/or that is in communication with the detector to cause the detector to evaluate the bone; an output that feedback to a user based on the quality and/or strength of the bone determined by the detector, and/or a piston that interacts with the detector to cause the detector to interact with and thereby evaluate the bone. Also provided are methods for determining if a region of a bone is appropriate for placement of an orthopedic hardware piece and methods for reducing risk of a complication of spinal surgery associated with failure of an orthopedic hardware piece.

Concepts for measuring and monitoring characteristics of osseous tissue are presented. In various embodiments, a monitoring probe may be inserted through a hollow passageway within a cannulated screw during an operation in order to measure characteristics of the osseous tissue in which the cannulated screw is inserted. In various embodiments, the cannulated screw may be inserted into a femoral head, through a physis, and into an epiphysis for stabilization of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. During surgical treatment thereof, a pressure transducer may be inserted into the osseous tissue through the cannulated screw in order to monitor epiphysis perfusion through the femoral head.

Devices and methods are provide for facilitating registration and calibration of surface imaging systems. Tracking marker support structures are described that include one or more fiducial reference markers, where the tracking marker support structures are configured to be removably and securely attached to a skeletal region of a patient. Methods are provided in which a tracking marker support structure is attached to a skeletal region in a pre-selected orientation, thereby establishing an intraoperative reference direction associated with the intraoperative position of the patient, which is employed for guiding the initial registration between intraoperatively acquired surface data and volumetric image data. In other example embodiments, the tracking marker support structure may be employed for assessing the validity of a calibration transformation between a tracking system and a surface imaging system. Example methods are also provided to detect whether or not a tracking marker support structure has moved from its initial position during a procedure.

A tracker system for use in image guided surgery is disclosed. The tracker system may couple to wet tissue and may include a navigation tracker and a base pad that couple to each other. The base pad may be fabricated from a plurality of nonwoven nanofibers. The base pad is configured to couple to body tissue of a patient via at least one of adsorption, hydration equilibrium, and macromolecular interpenetration.

The invention concerns an anatomically personalized and mobilizing external support configured to be arranged to support a physical joint between a first and a second bone group, which support comprises at least one first external auxiliary frame, which is configured to be attached to the first bone group using invasive attachment means, at least one second external auxiliary frame, which is configured to be attached to the second bone group using invasive attachment means, and at least one external auxiliary joint, which is fitted between the first and the second auxiliary frame. The external support is configured to permit a rotation of the second external auxiliary frame relative to the first external auxiliary frame about a rotational axis, sliding of the rotational axis relative to the first external auxiliary frame in a first direction, and sliding of the rotational axis or at least a portion of the second external auxiliary frame relative to the first external auxiliary frame in a second direction, which differs from the first direction.

A diagnostic system is provided that provides sensing and transmitting of fusion indicia to determine whether fusion has occurred. In some embodiments, a diagnostic system comprises a spinal implant or graft material; an antenna configured for sending signals to a remote location; a sensor configured for measuring at least one fusion indicia; and a receiver for receiving signals at the remote location.. In some embodiments, a method of utilizing a diagnostic system comprises the steps of inserting a spinal implant or graft material within a disc space between two vertebrae; measuring at least one fusion indicia; sending signals to a remote location with an antenna; and receiving signals with a receiver at the remote location.

A sensing system for tracking a center of rotation of a joint can include a computer system including processing circuitry configured to perform operations including: retrieve a first data set collected by a sensor device configured to be implanted into a patient in a fixed location on or within a first bone of the joint, the sensor device configured to collect data associated with movement of the first bone of the joint at a first time, retrieve a second data set collected by the sensor device at a second time subsequent to the first time; analyze the first and the second data sets to calculate first and second center of rotation locations; and compare the first and second center of rotation locations to track migration in the center of rotation of the joint over time.