Robotic navigation during spine surgery: an update of literature

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The application of robotic navigation during spine surgery has advanced rapidly over the past two decades, especially in the last 5 years. Robotic systems in spine surgery may offer potential advantages for both patients and surgeons. This article serves as an update to our previous review and explores the current status of spine surgery robots in clinical settings.

Areas covered

We evaluated the literature published from 2020 to 2022 on the outcomes of robotics-assisted spine surgery, including accuracy and its influencing factors, radiation exposure, and follow-up results.

Expert opinion

The application of robotics in spine surgery has driven spine surgery into a new era of precision treatment through a form of artificial intelligence assistance that compensates for the limitations of human abilities. Modularized robot configurations, intelligent alignment and planning incorporating multimodal images, efficient and simple human – machine interaction, accurate surgical status monitoring, and safe control strategies are the main technical features for the development of orthopedic surgical robots. The use of robotics-assisted decompression, osteotomies, and decision-making warrants further study. Future investigations should focus on patients’ needs while continuing to explore in-depth medical – industrial collaborative development innovations that improve the overall utilization of artificial intelligence and sophistication in disease treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Robot-assisted surgery
• spine surgery
• clinical application
• outcomes
• review

Article highlights

• In recent years, robotic systems for spine surgery have developed rapidly in line with technological advances, and a number of representative robotic products have emerged and become increasingly widespread.

• Most clinical studies of robotic-assisted spine surgery have focused on accuracy, radiation exposure, operating time, complications and learning curves.

• Robotic-assisted thoracolumbar screw placement has shown excellent accuracy.

• To expand the application scenario for robotic navigation during spine surgery, further basic and clinical research is needed.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewers disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (82202301), Consulting Project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (2022-XY-42), CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (2021-I2M-5-007), Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality (L212062 and L192048), Beijing Health Technologies Promotion Program (BHTPP202001), and Capital Health Development Research Project (2020-4-2076).