Open AccessRobot-assisted direct repair of spondylolysis
Author(s) -
Wei Tian,
Qi Zhang,
Xiaoguang Han,
Qiang Yuan,
Da He,
Yajun Liu
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1536-5964
pISSN - 0025-7974
DOI - 10.1097/md.0000000000018944
Subject(s) - medicine , spondylolysis , robot , artificial intelligence , surgery , spondylolisthesis , lumbar , computer science
Direct repair of the pars defect in lumbar spondylolysis is an effective surgical procedure, but it is technically challenging. We assessed the feasibility of a new robotic system for intralaminar screw fixation of spondylolysis. Patient concerns: A 26-year-old man complained about frequent low back pain after failed conservative treatments. Diagnosis: The lumbar computed tomography images demonstrated the presence of bilateral spondylolysis at the L5 level, with no spondylolisthesis. Interventions: We performed one surgery of direct intralaminar screw fixation under the guidance of the TiRobot system. The trajectory of the screw was planned based on intraoperative 3-dimensional radiographic images. Then, the robotic arm spontaneously moved to guide the guide wires and screw insertion. Outcomes: Bilateral L5 intralaminar screws were safely and accurately placed. No intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperative computed tomography showed good radiological results, without cortical perforation. Conclusion: We report the first case of robot-assisted direct intralaminar screw fixation for spondylolysis using the TiRobot system. Robotic guidance for direct repair of spondylolysis could be feasible.