Meta-analysis of TiRobot-assisted lumbar interbody fusion for degenerative lumbar disease: a comprehensive evaluation of screw placement accuracy and clinical safety.

This study focuses on the clinical management of lumbar degenerative diseases and employs meta-analysis methods to comprehensively investigate and compare the safety and pedicle screw placement accuracy of TiRobot-assisted technology versus freehand techniques in lumbar interbody fusion surgery. Although TiRobot-assisted lumbar interbody fusion has shown promise, existing studies report inconsistent findings. A systematic search was undertaken across four major databases-PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The primary outcomes analyzed included operative time, intraoperative blood loss, pedicle screw placement accuracy, facet joint violation (FJV) grading, radiation exposure time and dose, and postoperative hospital stay. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the TiRobot group had considerable advantages over the freehand group with respect to reduced intraoperative blood loss, improved screw placement accuracy, lower FJV grade, decreased radiation dose, shorter hospital stay, and lower ODI scores (WMD < 0, p < 0.05). However, no significant advantage was noted in operative time (WMD > 0, p < 0.05). In summary, this study presents preliminary evidence supporting the superior safety and accuracy of TiRobot-assisted approaches in the management of lumbar degenerative diseases, suggesting its potential as a viable and safe alternative in clinical practice and offering valuable insights for future research.