Spinal Fixation

Spinal fixation aims to stabilize fractured or weakened vertebrae, primarily using pedicle screws. Current research focuses on improving the accuracy and safety of screw placement through advancements in robotic surgery, including steerable drilling robots and flexible pedicle screws designed to navigate challenging bone structures, often using image-guided planning and augmented reality interfaces. These innovations leverage techniques like finite element analysis for biomechanical modeling and computer vision algorithms (e.g., YOLOv5) for image segmentation to enhance precision and minimize complications such as nerve damage. Ultimately, these efforts seek to improve surgical outcomes and reduce the failure rate of spinal fixation, particularly in patients with osteoporosis.