Researchers from the I-STAR Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Medicine have developed new software designed to help surgeons identify each spinal vertebra before conducting any operation.

They specifically designed the new software called "LevelCheck" to help surgeons prevent the mistake of operating on a wrong vertebra.

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The human spinal column consists of 24 vertebrae that look almost similar to one another. Because of this, surgeons have been looking for ways to effectively identify each one.

"Wrong-level spine surgery is never meant to happen," said Jeffrey Siewerdsen, a professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins and a member of the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.

"But it happens nearly four times a week in the U.S." Siewerdsen added.

Using LevelCheck, initial tests show the software attains 100 percent accuracy in just 26 seconds.

"This study is the first to demonstrate that LevelCheck works with real patient images," said Siewerdsen.

"It shows that the software can deal with challenges like changes in patient anatomy and the presence of surgical tools in the X-ray image."

LevelCheck uses a computer with a graphics processing unit to align a patient's three-dimensional preoperative CT image with the 2-D X-ray image. The end result is an X-ray image with pins that act as markers for the surgeons.

"We can't eliminate the possibility of wrong-level surgeries," said Jean Paul Wolinsky, an associate professor of neurosurgery and oncology at Johns Hopkins.

"But this is an additional level of security -- an independent check -- that works quickly within our standard surgical workflow. Although LevelCheck in its current form requires a preoperative CT scan for most patients, the benefit is well worth it."

TagsLevelCheck, Vertebra, Human Spine Column, I-STAR Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Surgeons, Surgery, Operation