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Review
. 2021 Jan;9(1):94.
doi: 10.21037/atm-20-1132.

Current innovation in virtual and augmented reality in spine surgery

Frank J Yuk  1 , Georgios A Maragkos  1 , Kosuke Sato  2 , Jeremy Steinberger  1
Affiliations
Review

Current innovation in virtual and augmented reality in spine surgery

Frank J Yuk et al. Ann Transl Med. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

In spinal surgery, outcomes are directly related both to patient and procedure selection, as well as the accuracy and precision of instrumentation placed. Poorly placed instrumentation can lead to spinal cord, nerve root or vascular injury. Traditionally, spine surgery was performed by open methods and placement of instrumentation under direct visualization. However, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has seen substantial advances in spine, with an ever-increasing range of indications and procedures. For these reasons, novel methods to visualize anatomy and precisely guide surgery, such as intraoperative navigation, are extremely useful in this field. In this review, we present the recent advances and innovations utilizing simulation methods in spine surgery. The application of these techniques is still relatively new, however quickly being integrated in and outside the operating room. These include virtual reality (VR) (where the entire simulation is virtual), mixed reality (MR) (a combination of virtual and physical components), and augmented reality (AR) (the superimposition of a virtual component onto physical reality). VR and MR have primarily found applications in a teaching and preparatory role, while AR is mainly applied in hands-on surgical settings. The present review attempts to provide an overview of the latest advances and applications of these methods in the neurosurgical spine setting.

Keywords: Spine surgery; augmented reality (AR); mixed reality (MR); neurosurgery; orthopaedic surgery; virtual reality (VR).

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/atm-20-1132). The series “Current State of Intraoperative Imaging” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

References

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