ShEEP Request for CurveBeam pedCAT Foot and Ankle Scanner

Va Puget Sound Healthcare System, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nine Investigators from the RR&D Center for Limb Loss Prevention and Prosthetic Engineering are requesting funds to acquire a CurveBeam pedCAT foot and ankle scanner. The scanner will be used in a series of research projects aimed at improving the quality of life of Veterans at risk of amputation and Veterans and service members who have undergone lower extremity amputation. The pedCAT scanner has a number of advantages over our current approach to obtaining imaging data of the foot and ankle or residual limb, which requires the use of a conventional, full body computed tomography (CT) scanner. Weight-bearing scans of the foot and ankle allow key clinical conditions that affect these joints and are prevalent in the veteran population to be more readily diagnosed. The pedCAT provides higher resolution images and also a significant reduction in radiation dose ? equivalent to just a few hours of background radiation ? which will result in reduced research participant burden, easier recruitment, and the ability to carry out more extensive analysis protocols using our biplane fluoroscopy system, which requires scans of the anatomy of interest to analyze the movement of the underlying bones. Furthermore, access to this equipment will reduce our reliance on clinical imaging services, which in the past has led to a number of logistical issues in terms of scheduling and cancellations, resulting in a more efficient research workflow, benefiting both investigators and research participants. The scanner will support a number of projects that span the Center?s research portfolio: ? Quantitative Prescription of Foot Orthoses: A Dose-Response Study of Kinematics in Patients with Foot and Ankle Pain using Biplane Fluoroscopy. The scanner will be used to image of the foot and ankle bones. These data are required to analyze the kinematics of the bones via biplane fluoroscopy while the subjects are walking with different insole designs. ? Do Rocker Bottom Shoes and Ankle-Foot Orthoses Reduce Pain and Improve Mobility for Ankle Osteoarthritis Patients? The scanner will image the foot and ankle bones, and these data will subsequently be used to analyze the kinematics of these bones via biplane fluoroscopy for different interventions. ? Residual Limb Skeletal Movement During gait. The scanner will image the bones in the residual limb. These data are required to analyze the kinematics of these bones relative to the prosthetic socket via biplane fluoroscopy. ? The Biomechanics of Lateral Wedge Insoles. The scanner will be used to image the foot and ankle bones for subsequent biplane fluoroscopy studies of the effects of different insole designs. ? Reducing Internal Stresses in Deformed Diabetic Feet. The scanner will be used to obtain high resolution images of the foot and ankle bone geometry for computational model components. ? Improving the Detection, Classification and Treatment of Misaligned Arthritic Ankles. The scanner will be used to image the foot and ankle bones for subsequent biplane fluoroscopy analysis. ? Mapping The Soft Tissue Artifact of the Foot and Ankle and Evaluating Site Specific Errors based on Subject Characteristics. The scanner will image foot and ankle bones for subsequent biplane fluoroscopy analysis. ? Comparing Surgical Treatments for Hallux Rigidus Using a Biomechanically and Anatomically Realistic Foot Model. Foot and ankle CT scans will be carried out using the pedCAT to determine the geometry of foot and ankle bones. These data are required to produce 3D printed replications of the hallux rigidus feet to test various surgical treatments.