ABSTRACT
The term stereotaxis, derived from the Greek stereo-for ‘‘three-dimensional’’ and -taxic for ‘‘an arrangement,’’ was coined by Horsley and Clarke in 1908 [1]. It was their use of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system that provided the basis for all stereotactic systems used in modern day neurosurgery. Human stereotaxy was initially developed for the placement of deep lesions in patients with Parkinson’s disease but lost favor with the development of dopamine agonist medications. The introduction of computed tomography (CT) renewed interest in stereotaxy and, together with the subsequent introduction of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), broadened indications for stereotactic approaches dramatically as deeper areas of the brain could now be targeted with great accuracy. As radiosurgery developed, indications for the use of stereotactic frames broadened further. A thorough review of the history of stereotaxy and the development of frame-based systems can be found in Gildenberg and Tasker’s definitive textbook [2]. This chapter will be devoted to three current frames systems, including technical aspects of frame application and target localization. Other frames will
be described elsewhere in the book; our goal is to describe some of the theoretical underpinning for the use of stereotactic frames in the era of digital imaging.
