Development and Overview of Robotic Spine Surgery

Today, robotic assistance in spine surgery can be used in countless ways. Robots can help surgeons dock tubular retractors, place pedicle screws, guide disc preparation, aim interbody cage placement, and perform facetectomies [1]. Even though these uses for robotic assistance grow annually, the primary goal underpinning the development of robotic spine surgery was simple: allowing precise placement of hardware into anatomic structures that cannot be directly visualized.