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Updated: Jun 21, 2025
A Spine Robotic-Assisted Navigation System for Pedicle Screw Placement
Published on: May 11, 2020
Robotic-assisted spine surgery-a narrative review
Christopher L Antonacci1, Francine Zeng1, Andrew Block1
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA.
Background And Objective:
Emerging technologies have increasingly been adopted in spine surgery in the attempt to increase precision and improve outcomes. Robotic assistance is an area of significant interest, with proposed benefits including increased accuracy, decreased complication rates, and decreased radiation exposure. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the currently available robotic assistance systems and their associated outcomes and limitations.
Methods:
A review of national databases was performed using key terms "robotic", "spine", and "surgery" for literature from 2014 to 2023. Studies that aimed to describe the utilities of endoscopic surgeries, associated outcomes, limitations, and future directions were included. Studies that were not in English were excluded.
Key Content And Findings:
This review includes a brief overview of the history of robotic spine surgery as well as its clinical outcomes, limitations, and future directions.
Conclusions:
Robotic-assisted spine surgery has seen increasing use in the attempt to increase precision and improve outcomes and has been associated with increased accuracy in pedicle screw placement and decreased complication rates. Barriers to its adoption include a significant learning curve, possibly longer operative cases, and significant associated costs. As robotic assistance continues to become increasingly popular in spine surgery, it is critical for surgeons to understand the technology available and the associated outcomes to make informed decisions when considering which system to incorporate into their practice.
