Costs curbing the rise of robotics in spinal surgery

The era of routine robotic-assisted spinal surgery is on the horizon. Despite the hype, however, there remains little market penetration, with affordability and the degree of value-added by such technology representing significant barriers to complete disruption of standard practice.
In a recent literature review published in Spine, Srinivas Prasad (Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA) concluded: “It is no longer a question of whether robotics has a role in spine surgery, but rather how and when.” Advantages of robotics include improved accuracy and consistency, and many have postulated that robotics could render complex spinal surgeries as easy as the simplest spine operations, reducing human error and surgical morbidity. However, many barriers remain before the use of robotics in spinal surgeries becomes routine.