Advancing spine surgery: Evaluating the potential for full robotic automation.

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Medical Robotics
• Surgical Navigation

Background:

• Robotic systems are increasingly utilized in spine surgery, with a growing interest in achieving full automation.
• Current robotic technologies offer assistance in trajectory guidance but lack complete autonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current robotic systems in spine surgery, their limitations, and future automation potential.
• To analyze the impact of tracking technologies on the transition toward greater automation in robotic spine surgery.

Main Methods:

• A narrative literature review was conducted on robotic spine surgery systems.
• Analysis focused on trajectory-guiding technologies, including optical and alternative tracking methods.

Main Results:

• Current robotic systems (e.g., Cirq®, Mazor X™, ExcelsiusGPS™) provide trajectory guidance but are not autonomous.
• Optical tracking faces challenges like obstruction vulnerability and inaccuracies; encoder-based tracking shows superior accuracy.
• Significant barriers to full automation include the complexity of spine surgery and the essential role of human decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Full automation in robotic spine surgery is not currently achievable.
• Advancements in tracking technologies are paving the way for enhanced robot-surgeon collaboration.
• Future developments aim to optimize clinical outcomes and improve procedural safety in spine surgery.