Las Vegas-based Orthopedic Surgeon and Specialist Dr. Galen Kam has been using 3D planning software in his orthopedic practice for as long as it’s been commercially available, citing that such software offers an “immeasurable benefit.”
As a Shoulder Innovations user of several years, Dr. Kam offers a well-informed, highly experienced perspective on the use of PreView Shoulder™ from Genesis Software Innovations.
Dr. Kam recently took some time to discuss his experiences using PreView Shoulder™:
Dr. Kam, what are your initial thoughts on PreView Shoulder™?
My general first impression is that the software is very user-friendly. The graphical interface is clean and precise, and it has all the features that an orthopedic surgeon would need for 3D planning.
In what ways does PreView Shoulder™ improve the entire Shoulder Innovations implant platform?
One exceptional feature of PreView Shoulder™ that improves the Shoulder Innovations implant platform is its ability to allow an orthopedic surgeon to adjust the planes that the computer is utilizing to calculate degrees of deformity. In many of the 3D planning systems on the market, the computer algorithm measures out the deformities and simply provides the numbers/angles without any option to adjust—regardless of whether a surgeon agrees with how the angles were measured.
PreView Shoulder™ is unique in that it allows the surgeon to adjust/alter the planes that are used in the software’s calculations, making it a lot more “flexible” and customizable to each patient’s unique situation.
In your experience, how do some of the older planning systems out there compare with PreView Shoulder™?
When PreView Shoulder™ is used in combination with Shoulder Innovations implants, particularly the Shoulder Innovations anatomic glenoid component, the augments that are available with that component are unique in that the implant is circular and can be turned a full 360 degrees. This puts the surgeon’s augments exactly where the patient’s deformity is.
There is currently no other polyethylene glenoid component that achieves that precision. When combining that particular Shoulder Innovations implant with PreView Shoulder™, a surgeon can get a clear sense of how to turn the implant to correct a deformity—customized to each individual patient. Essentially, I have not seen any other implant and 3D planning software combination that can achieve such individualization and precision.
If you were to give some guidance to a surgeon who might be new to Shoulder Innovations and the PreView Shoulder™ system, what counsel would you give them?
I would encourage them to get the software in their hands and try it out in order to really understand the benefits of the system. Then they can see how everything is utilized together – the implants and the software working side by side. Any surgeon who is familiar with 3D planning will immediately see the benefit of the “marriage” of those two elements.
There are many 3D planning software programs in the market, and I have used pretty much all of them. What I see as the primary benefit of PreView Shoulder™ is the adjustability and flexibility of measurements that provide surgeons with ever-important additional degrees of control. The ability to use unique implants with this 3D software solution gives surgeons unmatched planning ability. From a user experience point of view, PreView Shoulder™ offers the cleanest and most intuitive user interface I have had the opportunity to work with.
