2016 ISASS Meeting : Robot-assisted vs. Freehand Pedicle Screw Fixation in the Lumbar Spine - A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial – A Perspective for Early Radiological and Perioperative Outcomes

78 patients with degenerative lumbar disc disease were randomized to either a robot-assisted minimally invasive instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion (Rom-PLIF) or the conventional open approach (Cop-PLIF). The object of this study was to compare the two approaches in their accuracy and safety. Findings indicated that robot-assisted pedicle screw insertion for minimally invasive surgical procedures was significantly less prone to joint violation with a larger mean distance from screw to facet when compared to the conventional MIS approach. No significant differences were found in total operating time, time to ambulation, and hospital stay duration between the two treatment groups.