Accuracy of robot-assisted anterior transpedicular screws in the subaxial cervical spine: an experimental study on...

Prospective study.

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and safety of robot-assisted anterior transpedicular screw (ATPS) fixation in human cervical spine specimens.

A spine robotic system was used to implant thirty-six 1.2 mm Kirschner wires (K-wires) into the cervical pedicles (C4-C7) of five human specimens. Accuracy was assessed by comparing the planned trajectories with the actual K-wire positions. The Gertzbein-Robbins classification system (GRS), adapted for cervical pedicles, was used to evaluate accuracy; Grades A and B (<2 mm pedicle breach) were considered clinically acceptable. Secondary metrics included entry point and angle offsets.

Of the 36 K-wires implanted, nine were placed in C4 and C6, 10 in C5, and eight in C7. According to the adapted GRS, 25 placements (69.4%) were Grade A, 10 (27.8%) were Grade B, and one was Grade C, resulting in a 97.2% clinically acceptable placement rate. The mean target offset was 2.29 ± 1.72 mm, the entry offset was 2.47 ± 1.57 mm, and the angle offset was 5.67° ± 3.72°. No significant differences were observed between the left and right sides (p > 0.05).

Robot-assisted ATPS fixation in cervical specimens achieved high accuracy with 97.2% of placements rated clinically acceptable, indicating its technical feasibility and potential utility in anterior cervical procedures.