Computer-assisted navigation improves lumbar vertebral body drilling accuracy in dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary surgery
• Orthopedics
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Accurate bicortical lumbar vertebral body drilling is crucial for spinal procedures in canines.
• Freehand techniques carry a risk of cortical breaches, potentially leading to complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the accuracy of computer-assisted navigation versus freehand techniques for bicortical lumbar vertebral body drilling in canine cadavers.
• To assess the incidence of clinically relevant cortical breaches with each technique.

Main Methods:

• A randomized cadaveric experimental study using 9 canine lumbar spines.
• Two surgeons performed bicortical drilling using navigated and freehand techniques.
• Drill trajectories were assessed by 4 blinded veterinary surgeons using the modified Zdichavsky classification.

Main Results:

• Navigated drilling yielded a significantly higher proportion of optimal trajectories (92.6%) compared to freehand (42.6%).
• Clinically relevant breaches were significantly less frequent with navigation (3.7%) versus freehand (35.2%).
• Accuracy improvements were observed across different canine body sizes.

Conclusions:

• Computer-assisted navigation significantly enhances the accuracy of bicortical lumbar vertebral body drilling in canine cadavers.
• Navigation markedly reduces clinically relevant cortical breaches, improving procedural safety.