How can a non-invasive computer-assisted knee arthroplasty training system be as accurate as existing solutions on the market without increasing the learning curve? This was the question that Catarina Lopes, a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), set out to answer when she applied for the Idea Puzzle 2024 award. She was the big winner of the prize, which is awarded annually to the most coherent doctoral research design created using the Idea Puzzle software.
The tool directly supports doctoral students in making decisions to improve the coherence of a research proposal, article or thesis in the light of the philosophy of science. It also helps to review the strengths and weaknesses of a research project in any field of knowledge.
Using the software, the FEUP student decided to delve deeper into the structure of the training system used in non-invasive computer-assisted knee arthroplasty surgery and assess its accuracy compared to more conventional techniques.
“Computer-assisted knee arthroplasty has been investigated due to patient dissatisfaction with the results of surgery. This new approach produces better results than conventional techniques and presents a planned alignment of the knee with a similar learning curve. However, orthopaedic residents learn more complex surgical techniques through conventional teaching”, explains Catarina Lopes.
When we talk about conventional training, we mean theoretical learning, virtual simulators and initial hands-on experience with patients. In addition, “the most common knee position tracking systems are based on markers, whose main limitation is that it is an invasive method, where the incision made by the marker causes additional scarring, increasing the risk of infection, nerve damage and bone fracture,” explains the FEUP student.
In order to achieve the objective of her study, which was to overcome the shortcomings and increase the precision without prolonging the learning curve, Catarina Lopes came up with two lines of thought in this research.
“Firstly, the tracking process – which allows the patient to be moved during surgery while the surgical plan is adjusted according to their position – will be studied using non-invasive alternatives, such as ultrasound; and secondly, depth sensors will be analysed to obtain non-invasive tracking of the knee’s position during surgery,” she explains.
After following the project closely, Joaquim Gabriel, Full Professor at FEUP and Catarina’s research supervisor, says that the student “showed great determination and courage in agreeing to do her PhD on such a demanding subject. And this is where the IDEAPUZZLE software comes in, as it allows her to better structure her ideas in order to produce a coherent and innovative thesis”.
The FEUP student admits that she is grateful for the recognition of the Idea Puzzle Award because “it allowed my PhD research plan to be validated as coherent and feasible by someone outside my field of study. As a biomedical engineer, having my projects understood and considered useful by society is one of my main goals in my research career.”
