This paper describes the development and preliminary testing of an image-guided system for the placement of iliosacral screws
to stabilize pelvic ring fractures percutaneously, with the aim of decreasing the incidence of surgical complications and
increasing the accuracy of screw placement. Pre-operative planning of screw trajectories is performed on a 3D model of the
pelvis constructed from CT scans. During surgery, a 6D optical localizer is used to track the positions and orientations of
an ultrasound probe, a surgical drill and a reference frame fixed to the posterior iliac crest. Registration of the pre-operative
model with curves segmented from the ultrasound scans is performed using a surface-based algorithm. The drill tip and axis
are displayed relative to the desired screw trajectories in real time. The accuracy of the system has been verified in four
cadaver specimens by comparing actual screw trajectories to the desired trajectories and by measuring the distance from each
screw to important anatomical landmarks on post-operative CT scans. All screws were considered to be in correct position.