Fluoro-registered Mazor X Stealth Edition Versus O-arm Navigation: a State of the Art Technology Comparison for Pedicle Screw Insertion

Pedicle screw insertion for spinal fusion is a surgical procedure regularly performed around the world. Surgeons use free-hand, navigation or robotic techniques. The navigation began in 1995 in spine surgery. Surgical navigation systems provide pedicle screw insertion by projecting screw trajectories on a three-dimensional (3D) image acquisition, preoperatively or during the surgical procedure. Laine et al reported better accuracy and safety in pedicle screw insertion using the navigation system. Other authors reported less irradiation with the use of computer-assisted navigation. Robotic guidance was introduced in 2006 and assists the surgeon through a mechanical guidance according to a planning of screw trajectories on 3D imaging. This technique allows stable guidance for pedicle drilling and screw insertion, leading to greater screw positioning in lumbar fusion.

Medtronic (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) introduced the Mazor X Stealth in Europa in 2019, including the Mazor robotic device with the navigation technology within the same system. The hypothesis would be a combination of the stability of the robot during screw insertion and the accuracy of the navigation with cumulative benefit from the two techniques.

The goal of this study is to compare radiological and clinical results of the use of the new Mazor Stealth with the surgical O-arm navigation during pedicle screw insertion for posterior lumbar fusion.