BK Medical continues to encourage and support surgeons incorporating intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) into their daily practice. We are committed to developing innovative ultrasound technology that provides high-resolution images in real time for soft tissue visualization. As iUS grows in popularity in cranial surgery, BK Medical is simultaneously working on improving our utilization in a variety of spinal procedures, ranging from tumor resections to minimally invasive fusion surgery.1
The expanded utilization of BK Medical’s technology in spinal procedures is demonstrated through a recent case study in which an endonasal odontoidectomy was performed. In 2023, The Journal of Craniovertebral Junction & Spine published this study which found that using the Minimally Invasive Transducer intraoperatively was a helpful adjunct in guiding the resection of a retro-odontoid pannus and confirming spinal cord decompression in real time in a single case. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no other reports describing the utility of iUS during endonasal endoscopic approaches to the craniovertebral junction; however,
“[…] the authors show that this imaging modality can be added to the ever-evolving armamentarium of neurosurgeons to safely guide the decompression of neural structures within the craniocervical junction with good surgical outcomes.”2
Learn more about the case, surgical technique, and how the surgeons’ use of BK Medical’s Minimally Invasive transducer provided real-time, high-resolution feedback during the procedure. Read the full study here.
1Giammalva, G.R., Ferini, G., Musso, S. et al. Intraoperative Ultrasound: Emerging Technology and Novel Applications in Brain Tumor Surgery. Frontiers in Oncology, (February 1, 2022), Retrieved February 19, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8844995/
2Weber, M., Finger, G., Munjal, V. et al. Real-time ultrasound guidance in the endoscopic endonasal resection of a retro-odontoid pannus: Technical note and case illustration. The Journal of Craniovertebral Junction & Spine, (December 2023), Retrieved February 15, 2024 from https://journals.lww.com/jcjs/fulltext/2023/14040/real_time_ultrasound_guidance_in_the_endoscopic.18.aspx
