Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41536355›Full record

ReviewJPRAS open2026

Advancements in robotic assisted microsurgery: Exploring the MUSA robot in reconstructive microsurgical and supermicrosurgical procedures.

Hendrikje Bettens, Raphael Timmerman, Shan Shan Qiu, René van der Hulst, Tom van Mulken

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in JPRAS open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

5 authors.

Hendrikje BettensDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Raphael TimmermanDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Shan Shan QiuDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6229HX, The Netherlands.
René van der HulstDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6229HX, The Netherlands.
Tom van MulkenDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6229HX, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Robotic assistance in microsurgery offers increased precision, tremor elimination, motion scaling, and improved ergonomics. Although robots are widely used in other surgical fields, their integration into reconstructive microsurgery has been limited. The MUSA robot is the first robot specifically designed for microsurgery to address this unmet need. This report presents a comprehensive overview of the clinical indications and experiences with the MUSA2 robot at our center, including lymphatico-venous anastomosis, free flap breast reconstruction, free flaps reconstruction of the lower extremity, digital nerve repair, and finger replantation. Robotic assistance has great potential for its use in microsurgery. Challenges such as higher cost and setup times could be addressed by the evolution of the systems. Due to its compatibility with standard instrumentation and short learning curve the MUSA robot has promising initial results. This stimulates further research into robotic assistance as a tool in complex microsurgical procedures.

Indexed as

MicroSureMicrosurgeryMUSA2Robotic assistance

Identifiers

PMID41536355
PMCPMC12796109

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.