Mazor Robotics Spine Surgery

Spinal Fixation

Spinal fixation is a procedure in which two or more vertebrae are anchored together, immobilizing them to prevent nerve irritation and instability. It is used to treat broken vertebra, a spinal deformity, spinal weakness, spinal instability, or chronic low back pain.

Traditionally, surgeons perform this procedure using an “open” technique. While open surgery provides a direct line of site to the vertebra through a long incision, which may aid in the process of inserting the implants, it can also result in damage to surrounding healthy tissue, larger scars, and more postoperative pain.

Spinal fixation can also be done using a minimally-invasive technique that allows the surgeon to perform the procedure through smaller incisions. While this usually means less postoperative pain and a faster recovery, it does require an increased amount of X-rays (fluoroscopy) to enable the surgeon to view the spine during the procedure.

Mazor Robotics technology guides the surgeon’s tools during the minimally-invasive procedure to ensure the highest level of accuracy, while often reducing the use of fluoroscopy. The minimally-invasive technique also helps to preserve surrounding healthy tissue and can result in fewer complications, less blood loss, minimal scars, less pain, faster recovery, and quicker return to daily life.

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is the process of joining two or more vertebrae together, immobilizing them to create a single continuous bone. It is used to treat broken vertebra, a spinal deformity, spinal weakness, spinal instability, or chronic low back pain.

Surgeons use a bone graft (extra bone tissue) — either from the patient (autograft) or a donor (allograft) — along with the body’s natural bone growth processes to fuse the vertebrae. Surgeons often use implanted plates, screws, or rods to hold the vertebrae and graft to promote healing. Once this bone graft heals, the vertebrae are permanently fused.

Surgeons sometimes perform this procedure using an “open” technique, creating an incision that provides a direct line of site to the vertebra, which simplifies the process of inserting the bone graft and implants. However, this may result in damage to surrounding healthy tissue, large scars, and postoperative pain.

As an alternative, minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) uses smaller incisions and usually results in less postoperative pain and faster recovery. It does, however, require X-rays (fluoroscopy) to compensate for the surgeons lack of a direct line of site.

The Renaissance system guides the surgeon’s tools and implants in both open and minimally-invasive surgery (MIS), to ensure greater accuracy when compared to freehand conventional spine surgery. This can result in fewer complications, less postoperative pain, and a faster recovery. In addition, with the Mazor Robotics Renaissance Guidance System, the surgeon may require less fluoroscopy during surgery.

Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty is an outpatient procedure used to treat compression fractures of the spine. The procedure helps stabilize the fracture to relieve pain and prevent further weakening of the spine. Vertebroplasty is a minimally-invasive procedure performed through a small incision requiring a high level of precision.

During the vertebroplasty procedure, synthetic bone cement is injected through a needle into the fractured vertebra to fill the spaces in the bone. After the needle is removed, the bone cement hardens, stabilizing the fractured vertebra. Finding the right spot for injection can be challenging. Surgeons must accurately place the needle in the precise location to avoid spillage, which can create pressure on the nerve canals. To guide them through the procedure, surgeons use fluoroscopy, an imaging technique that uses high level X-rays, to view the spine for needle placement.

The Renaissance system allows surgeons to create a preoperative surgical blueprint of the spine to pinpoint the precise location for injecting the bone cement. In the operating room, the system guides the surgeon’s tools, often reducing the use of fluoroscopy.

In two separate studies, Mazor Robotics technology was found to reduce the amount of fluoroscopy used by approximately 70 percent compared to conventional vertebroplasty procedures. In addition, Mazor Robotics technology can increase accuracy in a wide variety of spine procedures for improved patient outcomes.