Unlocking Precision in Spinal Surgery: Evaluating the Impact of Neuronavigation Systems

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ensuring the safety of vital structures is paramount in spine surgery.
• Various surgical instruments aid surgeons in achieving optimal outcomes.
• Neuronavigation systems, particularly with intraoperative imaging like the O-arm, are increasingly utilized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate outcomes of spinal surgeries performed with freehand technique versus O-arm neuronavigation.
• To assess the impact of surgical experience on outcomes in O-arm neuronavigation cases.
• To compare screw malposition and complication rates between techniques and experience levels.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 193 spinal surgery patients (2019-2020).
• Comparison between freehand technique (110 patients) and O-arm neuronavigation (83 patients).
• Neuronavigation cases divided into early (first 40) and late (next 43) groups; minimum 2-year follow-up.

Main Results:

• O-arm navigation achieved 99% acceptable pedicle screw placement versus 89.5% for freehand.
• Screw malposition rates were 2% in early and 0.5% in late neuronavigation groups.
• Overall complication rates were reduced with O-arm navigation.

Conclusions:

• O-arm/navigation effectively addresses anatomical challenges, reducing screw malposition and complications.
• Increased surgical experience with neuronavigation correlates with lower surgical failure rates.
• Neuronavigation is a valuable tool for enhancing safety and efficacy in spine surgery.