Computed tomography-based radiostereometric analysis in orthopedic research: practical guidelines

- Early implant migration is an indicator of the long-term survival/failure of implants. CT-based radio-stereometric analysis (CT-RSA) is a precise method for mea-suring and visualizing implant migration in vivo using image processing of CT scans. This makes the method widely applicable to orthopedic researcher. Since its development in the early 2000s, CT-RSA has benefited from breakthroughs in CT and computing technol-ogy. These advancements have allowed for the acquisition of images with higher resolution at a much lower radiation dose. As a result, the measurement precision of CT-RSA is now comparable to that of the current gold standard technol-ogy while still compatible with most ethical considerations regarding radiation exposure. In this review we present bests practices for the successful execution of CT-RSA research projects. These practices are based on experience from projects on the hip, knee, shoulder, lower back, cervical spine, foot, pelvis, and wrist.