Title: A virtual environment in the healthcare domain for the management of clubfoot deformity in newborn babies: a case study

Authors: Manak Lal Jain, Sanjay Govind Dhande, Nalinaksh S. Vyas

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Shri G. S. Institute of Technology & Science, Indore-452001, (M. P), India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, (U.P.), India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208016, (U.P.), India.

Abstract: The clubfoot is a historical foot deformity where the foot is turned inward and points downward (Ponseti, 1996). A virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of clubfoot represents a new approach for understanding the clubfoot deformity in newborn babies. The developed 3D model will play a vital role in the rehabilitative management of this deformity, leading to surgical planning and simulation having a high rate of success. These techniques allow one to reproduce anatomical objects as 3D virtual models, which give the surgeon a realistic impression of complex structures before a surgical intervention. The shift from 2D to 3D visual representations of anatomical objects introduces a new kind of interaction in clubfoot deformity. It can be seen, from the presented case study of clubfoot, that the virtual 3D model is well suited for use in the diagnosis and the precise preoperative simulation of skeletal modifications and interventions.

Keywords: clubfoot; virtual reality; foot deformity; newborn babies; healthcare technology; 3D modelling; rehabilitative management; rehabilitation; surgical planning; preoperative simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2008.017368

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.9 No.2, pp.136 - 142

Published online: 02 Mar 2008 *

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