Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37965963›Full record

ArticleGlobal spine journal2025

Complications Have Not Improved With Newer Generation Robots.

Daniel Farivar, Terrence T Kim, Christopher A Sy, Eli M Baron, Edward K Nomoto, Corey T Walker, David L Skaggs

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global spine journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Is virtual reality training for lumbosacral freehand pedicle screw placement an alternative to conventional training?European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Daniel FarivarDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Terrence T KimDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Christopher A SyDepartment of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Eli M BaronDepartment of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Edward K NomotoDepartment of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Corey T WalkerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
David L SkaggsDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6137-5576

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designRetrospective cohort study.

objectiveThe purpose of this study was to see whether upgrades in newer generation robots improve safety and clinical outcomes following spine surgery.

methodsAll patients undergoing robotic-assisted spine surgery with the Mazor X Stealth Edition

results264 consecutive patients (54.1% female; age at time of surgery 63.5 ± 15.3 years) operated on by 14 surgeons were analyzed. The average number of instrumented levels with robotics was 4.2 ± 2.7, while the average number of instrumented screws with robotics was 8.3 ± 5.3. There was a nearly 50/50 split between an open and minimally invasive approach. Six patients (2.2%) had robot related complications. Three patients had temporary nerve root injuries from misplaced screws that required reoperation, one patient had a permanent motor deficit from the tap damaging the L1 and L2 nerve roots, one patient had a durotomy from a misplaced screw that required laminectomy and intra-operative repair, and one patient had a temporary sensory L5 nerve root injury from a drill. Half of these complications (3/6) were due to a reference frame error. In total, four patients (1.5%) required reoperation to fix 10 misplaced screws.

conclusionDespite newer generation robots, robot related complications are not decreasing. As half the robot related complications result from reference frame errors, this is an opportunity for improvement.

Indexed as

complicationmisplaced screwspedicle screwreoperationsroboticsspine

Identifiers

PMID37965963
PMCPMC11877567

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.