1 Virtual Exploration of Safe Entry Zones in the Brainstem: Comprehensive Definition and 2 Analysis of the Operative Approach 3 4 Ali Tayebi Meybodi, MD,1,3 Benjamin K. Hendricks, MD,1 Andrew J. Witten, BS,2 Jerome 5 Hartman,1 Samuel B. Tomlinson, BA,1 and Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol, MD, MSc, MBA1,2 6 7 1The Neurosurgical Atlas, Indianapolis, Indiana; 2Department of Neurosurgery, Indiana 8 University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; and 3Department of Neurosurgery, 9 Rutgers University Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 10 11 Correspondence: Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol, MD, MSc, MBA, Indiana University, Department of 12 Neurosurgery, 355 W 16th Street, Suite 5100, Indianapolis, IN 46202;
[email protected]. 13 14 Short Title: 3D Models for Brainstem Safe Entry Zones 15 16 Key Words: 3D, brainstem surgery, medulla oblongata, microdissection, operative anatomy, 17 safe entry zone, virtual model 18 19 Conflict of interest: 20 We have no conflicts of interest in regard to this research. 21 22 Article Type: Neurosurgical Atlas Series ____________________________________________________ This is the author's manuscript of the article published in final edited form as: Meybodi, A. T., Hendricks, B. K., Witten, A. J., Hartman, J., Tomlinson, S. B., & Cohen-Gadol, A. A. (2020). Virtual Exploration of Safe Entry Zones in the Brainstem: Comprehensive Definition and Analysis of the Operative Approach. World Neurosurgery. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2020.05.207 23 ABSTRACT 24 Background: Detailed and accurate understanding of intrinsic brainstem anatomy and the inter- 25 relationship between its internal tracts and nuclei and external landmarks is of paramount 26 importance for safe and effective brainstem surgery.