SpinoTemplate: A Platform for MRI-Guided Spinal Cord Injections

Abstract

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have limited treatment options and a 20% survival rate within five years of diagnosis. Small animal models show promise for halting the associated neurodegeneration when cellular therapeutics are delivered to the ventral horn of the spinal cord. A template-based guidance system was developed to facilitate percutaneous injections under MRI guidance to improve upon existing invasive and time-consuming surgical techniques. Procedure duration was 30min plus 5min per insertion, with a mean error of <2mm.