Laboratory test of Single Landmark registration method for ultrasound-based navigation in laparoscopy using an open-source platform

Purpose

Test the feasibility of the novel Single Landmark image-to-patient registration method for use in the operating room for future clinical trials. The algorithm is implemented in the open-source platform CustusX, a computer-aided intervention research platform dedicated to intraoperative navigation and ultrasound, with an interface for laparoscopic ultrasound probes.

Methods

The Single Landmark method is compared to fiducial landmark on an IOUSFAN (Kyoto Kagaku Co., Ltd., Japan) soft tissue abdominal phantom and T2 magnetic resonance scans of it.

Results

The experiments show that the accuracy of the Single Landmark registration is good close to the registered point, increasing with the distance from this point (12.4 mm error at 60 mm away from the registered point). In this point, the registration accuracy is mainly dominated by the accuracy of the user when clicking on the ultrasound image. In the presented set-up, the time required to perform the Single Landmark registration is 40% less than for the FLRM.

Conclusion

The Single Landmark registration is suitable for being integrated in a laparoscopic workflow. The statistical analysis shows robustness against translational displacements of the patient and improvements in terms of time. The proposed method allows the clinician to accurately register lesions intraoperatively by clicking on these in the ultrasound image provided by the ultrasound transducer. The Single Landmark registration method can be further combined with other more accurate registration approaches improving the registration at relevant points defined by the clinicians.

     

A novel platform for electromagnetic navigated ultrasound bronchoscopy (EBUS)

Purpose

Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of mediastinal lymph nodes is essential for lung cancer staging and distinction between curative and palliative treatment. Precise sampling is crucial. Navigation and multimodal imaging may improve the efficiency of EBUS-TBNA. We demonstrate a novel EBUS-TBNA navigation system in a dedicated airway phantom.

Methods

Using a convex probe EBUS bronchoscope (CP-EBUS) with an integrated sensor for electromagnetic (EM) position tracking, we performed navigated CP-EBUS in a phantom. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) and real-time ultrasound (US) images were integrated into a navigation platform for EM navigated bronchoscopy. The coordinates of targets in CT and US volumes were registered in the navigation system, and the position deviation was calculated.

Results

The system visualized all tumor models and displayed their fused CT and US images in correct positions in the navigation system. Navigating the EBUS bronchoscope was fast and easy. Mean error observed between US and CT positions for 11 target lesions (37 measurements) was \(2.8\pm 1.0\) mm, maximum error was 5.9 mm.

Conclusion

The feasibility of our novel navigated CP-EBUS system was successfully demonstrated. An EBUS navigation system is needed to meet future requirements of precise mediastinal lymph node mapping, and provides new opportunities for procedure documentation in EBUS-TBNA.

     

A novel navigation system to guide metallic foreign body extraction

Purpose

Metallic foreign bodies (MFBs) retained in soft tissue may pose potential threats to patient health. Interventional procedures using conventional navigation systems are associated with high rate of radiation exposure. We postulated that the surgical approach visualization and navigation system would offer precise percutaneous localization and linear guidance with reduced radiation dosage and system complexity.

Methods

In total, 76 patients underwent percutaneous MFB extraction with the technique, which consists of: (A) displaying the target spot (here the MFB) on the screen; (B) projecting the laser beam onto the skin surface; (C) indicating the optimal direction and angle of the needle; and (D) guiding the surgical approach until the MFB was extracted.

Results

A total of 76 MFBs were successfully extracted with a single operation. No systemic complications were observed. The procedure took between 2 and 11 min, with an average of \(5.55\pm 2.21\) min, demonstrating the characteristics of a normal distribution. The mean size of wound was \(12.01\pm 4.16\) mm. The mean amount of bleeding was \(6.12\pm 3.56\) ml. The number of times the intra-operative fluoroscopy was used ranged from one to four times for a single procedure, with an average of 1.89 ± 0.74.

Conclusion

The proposed navigation system which combines the laser positioning and navigation techniques seems to be a novel surgical approach of high accuracy and efficiency.

     

Magnetic resonance imaging compatible remote catheter navigation system with 3 degrees of freedom

Purpose

To facilitate MRI-guided catheterization procedures, we present an MRI-compatible remote catheter navigation system that allows remote navigation of steerable catheters with 3 degrees of freedom.

Methods

The system consists of a user interface (master), a robot (slave), and an ultrasonic motor control servomechanism. The interventionalist applies conventional motions (axial, radial and plunger manipulations) on an input catheter in the master unit; this user input is measured and used by the servomechanism to control a compact catheter manipulating robot, such that it replicates the interventionalist’s input motion on the patient catheter. The performance of the system was evaluated in terms of MRI compatibility (SNR and artifact), feasibility of remote navigation under real-time MRI guidance, and motion replication accuracy.

Results

Real-time MRI experiments demonstrated that catheter was successfully navigated remotely to desired target references in all 3 degrees of freedom. The system had an absolute value error of \({<}\)1 mm in axial catheter motion replication over 30 mm of travel and \(3^{\circ } \pm 2^{\circ }\) for radial catheter motion replication over \(180^{\circ }\). The worst case SNR drop was observed to be \({<}\)3 %; the robot did not introduce any artifacts in the MR images.

Conclusion

An MRI-compatible compact remote catheter navigation system has been developed that allows remote navigation of steerable catheters with 3 degrees of freedom. The proposed system allows for safe and accurate remote catheter navigation, within conventional closed-bore scanners, without degrading MR image quality.

     

Augmented reality surgical navigation with ultrasound-assisted registration for pedicle screw placement: a pilot study

Purpose

We present a novel augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation system based on ultrasound-assisted registration for pedicle screw placement. This system provides the clinically desired targeting accuracy and reduces radiation exposure.

Methods

Ultrasound (US) is used to perform registration between preoperative computed tomography (CT) images and patient, and the registration is performed by least-squares fitting of these two three-dimensional (3D) point sets of anatomical landmarks taken from US and CT images. An integral videography overlay device is calibrated to accurately display naked-eye 3D images for surgical navigation. We use a 3.0-mm Kirschner wire (K-wire) instead of a pedicle screw in this study, and the K-wire is calibrated to obtain its orientation and tip location. Based on the above registration and calibration, naked-eye 3D images of the planning path and the spine are superimposed onto patient in situ using our AR navigation system. Simultaneously, a 3D image of the K-wire is overlaid accurately on the real one to guide the insertion procedure. The targeting accuracy is evaluated postoperatively by performing a CT scan.

Results

An agar phantom experiment was performed. Eight K-wires were inserted successfully after US-assisted registration, and the mean targeting error and angle error were 3.35 mm and \(2.74{^{\circ }}\), respectively. Furthermore, an additional sheep cadaver experiment was performed. Four K-wires were inserted successfully. The mean targeting error was 3.79 mm and the mean angle error was \(4.51{^{\circ }}\), and US-assisted registration yielded better targeting results than skin markers-based registration (targeting errors: 2.41 vs. 5.18 mm, angle errors: \(3.13{^{\circ }}\) vs. \(5.89{^{\circ }})\).

Conclusion

Experimental outcomes demonstrate that the proposed navigation system has acceptable targeting accuracy. In particular, the proposed navigation method reduces repeated radiation exposure to the patient and surgeons. Therefore, it has promising prospects for clinical use.

     

Preliminary study on magnetic tracking-based planar shape sensing and navigation for flexible surgical robots in transoral surgery: methods and phantom experiments

Purpose

Flexible surgical robot can work in confined and complex environments, which makes it a good option for minimally invasive surgery. In order to utilize flexible manipulators in complicated and constrained surgical environments, it is of great significance to monitor the position and shape of the curvilinear manipulator in real time during the procedures. In this paper, we propose a magnetic tracking-based planar shape sensing and navigation system for flexible surgical robots in the transoral surgery. The system can provide the real-time tip position and shape information of the robot during the operation.

Methods

We use wire-driven flexible robot to serve as the manipulator. It has three degrees of freedom. A permanent magnet is mounted at the distal end of the robot. Its magnetic field can be sensed with a magnetic sensor array. Therefore, position and orientation of the tip can be estimated utilizing a tracking method. A shape sensing algorithm is then carried out to estimate the real-time shape based on the tip pose. With the tip pose and shape display in the 3D reconstructed CT model, navigation can be achieved.

Results

Using the proposed system, we carried out planar navigation experiments on a skull phantom to touch three different target positions under the navigation of the skull display interface. During the experiments, the real-time shape has been well monitored and distance errors between the robot tip and the targets in the skull have been recorded. The mean navigation error is \(2.07\pm 0.71\) mm, while the maximum error is 3.2 mm.

Conclusion

The proposed method provides the advantages that no sensors are needed to mount on the robot and no line-of-sight problem. Experimental results verified the feasibility of the proposed method.

     

Olanzapine vs haloperidol: treating delirium in a critical care setting

Objective

To compare the safety and estimate the response profile of olanzapine, a second-generation antipsychotic, to haloperidol in the treatment of delirium in the critical care setting.

Design

Prospective randomized trial

Setting

Tertiary care university affiliated critical care unit.

Patients

All admissions to a medical and surgical intensive care unit with a diagnosis of delirium.

Interventions

Patients were randomized to receive either enteral olanzapine or haloperidol.

Measurements

Patient’s delirium severity and benzodiazepine use were monitored over 5 days after the diagnosis of delirium.

Main results

Delirium Index decreased over time in both groups, as did the administered dose of benzodiazepines. Clinical improvement was similar in both treatment arms. No side effects were noted in the olanzapine group, whereas the use of haloperidol was associated with extrapyramidal side effects.

Conclusions

Olanzapine is a safe alternative to haloperidol in delirious critical care patients, and may be of particular interest in patients in whom haloperidol is contraindicated.

     

Clinical application of a surgical navigation system based on virtual laparoscopy in laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Purpose

Knowledge of the specific anatomical information of a patient is important when planning and undertaking laparoscopic surgery due to the restricted field of view and lack of tactile feedback compared to open surgery. To assist this type of surgery, we have developed a surgical navigation system that presents the patient’s anatomical information synchronized with the laparoscope position. This paper presents the surgical navigation system and its clinical application to laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods

The proposed surgical navigation system generates virtual laparoscopic views corresponding to the laparoscope position recorded with a three-dimensional (3D) positional tracker. The virtual laparoscopic views are generated from preoperative CT images. A point-based registration aligns coordinate systems between the patient’s anatomy and image coordinates. The proposed navigation system is able to display the virtual laparoscopic views using the registration result during surgery.

Results

We performed surgical navigation during laparoscopic gastrectomy in 23 cases. The navigation system was able to present the virtual laparoscopic views in synchronization with the laparoscopic position. The fiducial registration error was calculated in all 23 cases, and the average was 14.0 mm (range 6.1–29.8).

Conclusion

The proposed surgical navigation system can provide CT-derived patient anatomy aligned to the laparoscopic view in real time during surgery. This system enables accurate identification of vascular anatomy as a guide to vessel clamping prior to total or partial gastrectomy.

     

IBIS: an OR ready open-source platform for image-guided neurosurgery

Purpose

Navigation systems commonly used in neurosurgery suffer from two main drawbacks: (1) their accuracy degrades over the course of the operation and (2) they require the surgeon to mentally map images from the monitor to the patient. In this paper, we introduce the Intraoperative Brain Imaging System (IBIS), an open-source image-guided neurosurgery research platform that implements a novel workflow where navigation accuracy is improved using tracked intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) and the visualization of navigation information is facilitated through the use of augmented reality (AR).

Methods

The IBIS platform allows a surgeon to capture tracked iUS images and use them to automatically update preoperative patient models and plans through fast GPU-based reconstruction and registration methods. Navigation, resection and iUS-based brain shift correction can all be performed using an AR view. IBIS has an intuitive graphical user interface for the calibration of a US probe, a surgical pointer as well as video devices used for AR (e.g., a surgical microscope).

Results

The components of IBIS have been validated in the laboratory and evaluated in the operating room. Image-to-patient registration accuracy is on the order of \(3.72\pm 1.27\,\hbox {mm}\) and can be improved with iUS to a median target registration error of 2.54 mm. The accuracy of the US probe calibration is between 0.49 and 0.82 mm. The average reprojection error of the AR system is \(0.37\pm 0.19\,\hbox {mm}\). The system has been used in the operating room for various types of surgery, including brain tumor resection, vascular neurosurgery, spine surgery and DBS electrode implantation.

Conclusions

The IBIS platform is a validated system that allows researchers to quickly bring the results of their work into the operating room for evaluation. It is the first open-source navigation system to provide a complete solution for AR visualization.

     

Calibration of mobile-gantry computed tomography for surgical navigation

Purpose

Image-guided interventions that use preoperative 3D computed tomography (CT) models are limited by the preoperative segmentation time 3D image and collection of intraoperative registration data. Intraoperative CT imaging can be ergonomically efficient in a direct navigation system if the imaging device is accurately calibrated. A mobile-gantry CT scanner offers improved patient safety but presents technical challenges beyond those of a conventional scanner. The goal was to calibrate an optoelectronic navigation system to mobile-gantry CT with millimeter-level accuracy.

Methods

A custom calibration device was designed and manufactured. The calibrator contained optoelectronic markers for navigation reference and radio-opaque markers for CT reference. Calibrations were performed with a ceiling-mounted optoelectronic camera and with a portable camera, and then verified for accuracy.

Results

The component fiducial registration errors were extremely small, being 0.36 mm, with standard deviation of 0.16 mm, for the ceiling-mounted camera, and 0.05 mm, with standard deviation of 0.01 mm, for the portable camera. The net target registration error, measured as RMS deviation, was 1.58 mm for the ceiling-mounted camera and 0.73 mm for the portable camera.

Conclusions

High-accuracy calibration of the mobile-gantry CT scanner was possible from a single preoperative CT image. A ceiling-mounted optoelectronic camera, which is ergonomically preferable, marginally met the accuracy criteria. The portable camera, which is in widespread use for conventional navigated surgery, had deep sub-millimeter error. This study demonstrates that high accuracy is achievable and offers a system developer options to trade off accuracy and user convenience in direct surgical navigation.

     

painApp – mobiles Schmerzmonitoring in der häuslichen Versorgung

Background

The use of a scientifically developed App for pain management in the home care setting is not yet established in Germany. The documentation of pain-specific data by the patients and the transfer into a web portal to be examined by the attending physician can help close the existing communication gap in pain management between consultations.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to develop a mobile health (mHealth) solution for optimizing pain management in the home care setting. The research questions focus on design and technical issues concerning layout and navigation of the painApp as well as user-relevant questions concerning pain management, such as pain at rest and pain during movement, taking pain medication and patient satisfaction with their pain situation.

Materials and methods

Within a 12-month period, the user-centered development and practice-based testing of the application painApp involved patients aged?≥?65 years. Within a formative evaluation, a total of four data collections and a final survey took place. During the same period, a web portal was developed and tested the documentation of the patient pain-specific data from the painApp with the participation of general practitioners.

Results and conclusions

The development of the painApp as a prototype was realized in the study with high acceptability by the patients. The painApp is able to establish digital communication with the general practitioner without any technical problems and allows the physician access to patient data in real time.

     

Assessment of a needle-tracking system for bipolar radiofrequency ablation

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and efficacy of a needle-tracking system in phantom and clinical studies using bipolar electrodes.

Methods

To observe the tip of the electrode, a needle-tracking system with a volume navigation system was used. In the phantom study, the electrode was inserted at various angles and the error was verified. In the clinical study, 21 nodules close to extrahepatic organs or major vessels were enrolled between May and October 2014. After puncturing with the needle-tracking system, computed tomography (CT) was performed. The distances between the electrode tip and extrahepatic organs or major vessels were measured on both B-mode ultrasound (US) and CT. By comparing these distances, the accuracy of this system was evaluated.

Results

In the phantom study, the deviation between the tip of the electrode and the virtual tip of the electrode was analyzed. The median values were within 2 mm at each puncture angle. In the clinical study, the difference between B-mode US and CT was less (mean value 1.17 ± 1.76 mm; range 0–3.5 mm).

Conclusion

The needle-tracking system is an accurate and useful system for bipolar radiofrequency ablation.

     

Progressive internal landmark registration for surgical navigation in laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Purpose

A surgical navigation system supports the comprehension of anatomical information during surgery. Patient-to-image registration is the alignment process between CT volume and patient coordinate systems. Achieving accurate registration in the surgical navigation of laparoscopic surgery is very challenging due to soft tissue deformation. This paper presents a new patient-to-image registration method based on internal anatomical landmarks for improving registration accuracy in the surgical navigation of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods

Our proposed registration method progressively utilizes internal anatomical landmarks. In laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer, the surgeon cuts the blood vessels around the stomach. The positions of the cut vessels are sequentially used as fiducials for registration during surgery. The proposed method uses a weighted point-based registration method for computing the transformation matrix using the fiducials both on the body surface and on the blood vessels. When a blood vessel is cut during surgery, the proposed progressive registration method measures the cut vessel’s position and computes a transformation matrix by adding the cut vessel as a fiducial.

Results

We applied our proposed progressive registration method using the positional information of the blood vessels acquired during laparoscopic gastrectomy in 20 cases. We evaluated it using target registration error in four blood vessels. The average target registration error in the four blood vessels was 12.6 mm and ranged from 2.1 to 32.9 mm.

Conclusion

Since the proposed progressive registration can reduce registration error, our proposed method is very useful for the surgical navigation of laparoscopic gastrectomy. Our proposed progressive registration method might increase the accuracy of surgical navigation in laparoscopic gastrectomy.

     

Pooled Aquablation Results for American Men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Large Prostates (60–150 cc)

Introduction

To present short-term safety and efficacy data of men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with Aquablation.

Methods

Men with LUTs secondary to BPH (60–150 cc) underwent Aquablation treatment from February 2016 to December 2017 across 17 investigational sites in the USA from two contemporary investigational device exemption (IDE) studies called WATER (NCT02505919) and WATER II (NCT03123250).

Results

One hundred seven males with mean age of 67.3?±?6.5 years were treated with Aquablation; mean prostate volume was 99.4?±?24.1 cc. The pooled results show that large prostates have an average procedure time of less than 36 min and discharge on average 1.6?±?1 days. The IPSS decreased by 16.7?±?8.1 points at 3 months and Q_max increased by 11.2?±?12.4 ml/s. The Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade 2 or higher event rate at 3 months was 29%. A non-hierarchical breakdown for CD events yielded 18% grade 2 and 19% grade 3 or higher.

Conclusion

Men with LUTS secondary to BPH (60–150 cc) in a pooled analysis were treated safely and effectively with Aquablation up to 3 months postoperatively.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers, NCT02505919 and NCT03123250.

Funding

PROCEPT BioRobotics.

     

ROS-IGTL-Bridge: an open network interface for image-guided therapy using the ROS environment

Purpose

With the growing interest in advanced image-guidance for surgical robot systems, rapid integration and testing of robotic devices and medical image computing software are becoming essential in the research and development. Maximizing the use of existing engineering resources built on widely accepted platforms in different fields, such as robot operating system (ROS) in robotics and 3D Slicer in medical image computing could simplify these tasks. We propose a new open network bridge interface integrated in ROS to ensure seamless cross-platform data sharing.

Methods

A ROS node named ROS-IGTL-Bridge was implemented. It establishes a TCP/IP network connection between the ROS environment and external medical image computing software using the OpenIGTLink protocol. The node exports ROS messages to the external software over the network and vice versa simultaneously, allowing seamless and transparent data sharing between the ROS-based devices and the medical image computing platforms.

Results

Performance tests demonstrated that the bridge could stream transforms, strings, points, and images at 30 fps in both directions successfully. The data transfer latency was <1.2 ms for transforms, strings and points, and 25.2 ms for color VGA images. A separate test also demonstrated that the bridge could achieve 900 fps for transforms. Additionally, the bridge was demonstrated in two representative systems: a mock image-guided surgical robot setup consisting of 3D slicer, and Lego Mindstorms with ROS as a prototyping and educational platform for IGT research; and the smart tissue autonomous robot surgical setup with 3D Slicer.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that the bridge enabled cross-platform data sharing between ROS and medical image computing software. This will allow rapid and seamless integration of advanced image-based planning/navigation offered by the medical image computing software such as 3D Slicer into ROS-based surgical robot systems.

     

Aspekte einer liaisonpsychiatrischen Betreuung von Patienten einer universitären Schmerzambulanz

Background

Owing to a rise of psychosomatic comorbidities, the treatment of psychological disorders, which may negatively impact prognosis and therapy, is increasingly becoming a focus of attention for pain outpatient clinics.

Aim

This study investigates and discusses the advantages of liaison psychiatric care in a university pain clinic.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we investigated all patients who presented to an anaesthesiologically led pain clinic between January and June 2014. The psychiatric history was taken by the liaison psychiatrist of the pain clinic.

Results

In the period investigated, 485 patients were treated as outpatients. A psychiatric diagnosis was present 351 patients (72.4%). The distribution of the diagnoses was comparable with that of a consultation service. Adaptation and affective disorders dominated. The patients were preferentially treated with new generation antidepressants.

Conclusion

The constant presence of a liaison psychiatrist allows for timely, specialised care of pain patients in terms of a multimodal therapeutic approach.

     

Arthroskopische Therapie der Kniesteife

Background

Knees with a limited range of motion caused by intraarticular scars benefit from arthroscopic arthrolysis. Usually these scars result from previous surgery, severe trauma with damage of intraarticular structures.

Objectives

The aim of this procedure is to improve the patients’ range of motion which is necessary for activities of work and daily life. Scar tissue is debrided and resected arthroscopically with a radiofrequency device, a shaver or a punch.

Indications

Indications are a flexion deficit of max. 40°, an extension deficit of max. 20°, reduced mobility of patella, intraarticular reason for limited range of motion, cyclops after anterior cruciate liagment reconstruction, fibrotic Hoffa fat pad.

Contraindications

Contraindications are an extraarticular origin of limited range of motion (e.?g. fibrotic quadriceps muscle), local and general infection, major osteoarthritis, noncompliance, complex regional pain syndrome type I.

Postoperative management

A continuous physical therapy to maintain range of motion is essential. If necessary, continuous passive motion is implemented. Pain adapted weight-bearing should be used for mobilization. A sufficient oral and (when indicated) regional pain management is important to guarantee the benefit of the surgery.

Results

Patients with a lack of mobility of the knee gain a significantly increased range of motion by this arthroscopic procedure. Because of the minimal invasiveness, trauma of surgery and risk of infection are reduced. In many cases the function of the knee joint can be completely restored or at least improved considerably. Complications such as early osteoarthritis can be avoided.

     

Achtsame Schmerztherapie

Background

The in part promising, in part discrepant efficacy of psychological treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain indicates a demand for interdisciplinary assessment and corresponding treatment structures with differentiated degrees of psychological and syndrome-specific specialization within a multimodal orthopedic context. Acceptance of pain and psychological flexibility are strongly related to physical impairments caused by pain.

Objective

Goals are improved outcomes of medical and physical treatment measures as well as their flexible implementation in daily life through a differentially indicated psychological pain therapy focusing on pain acceptance and mindfulness.

Methods

This study employed the “active not doing and generating inner silence” exercise from mindful-based pain therapy (“Achtsamkeitsbasierte Schmerztherapie”, ABST).

Results

Pure observation of a problem without an attempt to solve it is unusual and strange. Prerequisites for such exercises are willingness to engage as well as courage and openness.

Conclusion

A differentiated indication for clinical psychological treatment or psychotherapy of pain—a highly specialized form of psychological pain therapy—should be based on the diagnostic criterium of pain acceptance.

     

Elterliche Reaktionen auf kindlichen Schmerz

Background

Parental reactions to their child’s pain can comprise cognitive-affective and behavioral responses. Dysfunctional responses like parental catastrophizing may lead to an aggravation of the child’s pain.

Objectives

Aims of the online-based study were (1) to psychometrically evaluate existing questionnaires into cognitive-affective (Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Parents; PCS-P) and behavioral responses (Inventar zum schmerzbezogenen Elternverhalten; ISEV-E) within a sample of 105 healthy parents, and (2) to compare their responses to existing (inter)national clinical samples and to the reactions of 80 parents with self-reported chronic pain from the general population.

Methods

The assessment of parental pain-related reactions was online-based.

Results

While the factor structure of the ISEV-E could not be replicated, the three factors of the PCS-P could be replicated. Parental catastrophizing of the healthy parents was lower compared to clinical samples. Healthy parents did not differ from parents with chronic pain from the general population.

Conclusion

The results offer a basis to grade parental catastrophizing, so that risk-groups can be identified.