A Robotic Flexible Drill and Its Navigation System for Total Hip Arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Total hip arthroplasty (THA) requires precise bone preparation.
• Current methods for femoral milling can be limited in achieving complex geometries.
• Robotic assistance offers potential for improved accuracy and minimally invasive approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel robotic flexible drill and integrated navigation system for THA.
• To enable curved femoral milling with enhanced precision and control.
• To evaluate the system's performance in a sawbone model.

Main Methods:

• Development of a robotic flexible drill manipulator with a multi-segment sheath and flexible shaft.
• Integration of a hybrid tracking system (optical and rotary encoders) for real-time positioning.
• Implementation of a computer-aided navigation system for surgeon guidance.
• Evaluation of the system's efficacy in performing femoral bone milling on sawbones.

Main Results:

• The robotic system successfully performed curved femoral milling.
• The multimodality navigation system provided real-time guidance.
• The flexible drill demonstrated steerability and precision in bone milling tasks.
• Initial evaluations in sawbones indicate feasibility and potential for THA applications.

Conclusions:

• The presented robotic flexible drill and navigation system offers a unique capability for curved femoral milling in THA.
• The system has the potential to improve surgical accuracy and enable new surgical techniques.
• Further clinical evaluation is warranted to confirm its benefits in actual patient procedures.