Innovative Pedicle Screw Insertion with Mixed Reality Technology Improves Insertion Accuracy in Spinal Surgery

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Technology
• Spinal Deformities

Background:

• Pediatric scoliosis correction surgery requires precise pedicle screw placement.
• Conventional navigation systems have limitations in accuracy.
• Augmented reality (AR) technology offers potential improvements in surgical guidance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of pedicle screw insertion using AR-assisted navigation in pediatric scoliosis surgery.
• To compare the accuracy of AR-assisted navigation with conventional methods.
• To verify the usefulness of AR technology in spinal deformity correction.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 361 pedicle screws inserted using AR-assisted navigation in posterior scoliosis correction.
• Evaluation of screw deviation using the Rao Classification system.
• Analysis of the relationship between vertebral body rotation and screw deviation.

Main Results:

• A low rate of clinically significant pedicle screw deviation was observed (0.83% Grade 2.3).
• Pedicle screw deviation increased with greater vertebral body rotation and oblique insertion angles.
• AR-assisted navigation demonstrated potentially superior accuracy compared to conventional navigation alone.

Conclusions:

• AR technology combined with conventional navigation enhances pedicle screw insertion accuracy in pediatric scoliosis surgery.
• This system shows promise as a standard tool for spine surgery, improving outcomes and surgeon experience.
• Further integration of AR is expected to advance the field of pediatric spinal surgery.