Utility of a Navigated High-Speed Drill in Robotic-Assisted Screw Placement for Spine Surgery

Purpose To elucidate the utility of a navigated high-speed drill used after the version upgrade in surgeries assisted by a spinal robotics system. Methods The subjects were 166 patients who underwent screw placement using a spinal robotics system between April 2021 to July 2023. A significant change during the study was the introduction of a navigated high-speed drill in 80 post-upgrade cases, aimed at improving drilling accuracy. Screw accuracy was analyzed using the Gertzbein and Robbins classification on postoperative CT scans. Screws placed before (pre-upgrade group: 718 screws in 86 cases) and after the system upgrade (post-upgrade group: 747 screws in 80 cases) were compared in terms of perfect accuracy and deviation rates. Results There were no significant differences in demographics or surgical details between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in the overall perfect accuracy rate and deviation rate (2.4% pre-upgrade vs. 2.0% post-upgrade) between the two groups. For the percutaneous pedicle screw (PPS), the perfect accuracy rate was significantly higher, and the deviation rate was significantly lower in the post-upgrade group (26.1% pre-upgrade vs. 4.4% post-upgrade). Notably, the post-upgrade group achieved 100% perfect accuracy and 0% deviation for the cortical bone trajectory screw (CBT) technique. Conclusions The introduction of the navigated high-speed drill did not significantly alter the overall perfect accuracy or deviation rates for robotic-assisted screw placement. However, its use did demonstrate improved outcomes in specific techniques such as PPS and CBT, indicating its potential value in addressing skiving in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgeries.