The NailedIt Augmented Reality (AR) Surgical Navigation System, comprised of a Windows-based desktop application, augmented reality headsets (HMDs) worn by surgeons, handheld mobile devices supporting remote viewing and surgical site annotation, and spatially tracked medical devices and instruments, assists and guides surgeons while they perform orthopedic surgical tasks using an immersive augmented reality user interface.

Long-bone fracture surgery involves placement of intramedullary nails requiring radiation-based intraoperative fluoroscopy, which creates safety issues along with challenges in implant positioning.

The inventors have created an augmented reality system designed to assist surgeons with precisely placing screws during intramedullary nail insertion for long-bone fractures. This innovative method projects accurate insertion points for screws directly onto the surgical field and interactively guides the surgeon to drill corresponding screw holes with the correct orientation and depth. This approach circumvents the need for fluoroscopy by employing an augmented reality interface tailored to the individual's anatomy, thereby enhancing procedural accuracy and reducing recovery times.

The NailedIt software application enables display of comprehensive pre-operative surgical details on both the desktop display and in the head-mounted display (HMD) worn by the surgeon. This includes the current surgical plan and precise instructions. The system also is compatible with a variety of HMD and mobile augmented reality (AR) devices. Beyond text-based instructions, surgeons can see markups of the physical surgical site superimposed over their normal field of view as well view interactive 3D graphical anotations that guide the surgeon through each step of the procedure. Critical information displayed in real-time includes the location of distal nail holes,  current position and orientation of drill guides and other tracked instruments,  desired drill axis postion and orientation and depth of the currently drilled hole. Furthermore, the guidance provided by this innovative augmented reality system can be shared among a team of surgeons, enhancing collaboration and precision. This platform technology allows for expansion into other orthopaedic care spaces where navigation can be beneficial such as minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis, spine, hip or pelvis.

• Decreased radiation exposure
• Decreased operative time
• Increased accuracy using patient-specific anatomy
• Surgeons can collaborate in the AR space during procedure
• Can work with different AR devices
• Device company agnostic (can be used with any IM Nail system)