Robotic surgery are types of surgical procedures that are done using robotic systems. Robotically-assisted surgery was developed to try to overcome the limitations of pre-existing minimally-invasive surgical procedures and to enhance the capabilities of surgeons performing open surgery.

Two systems for Robotic Surgery exist: 1)Autonomous 2) Haptic (Tactile) System

• Haptic systems – allow the surgeon to drive, or use the robot to perform the operation. Constant input of the surgeon is mandatory for efficient functioning of the system.
• Autonomous systems – the surgeon performs the approach, sets up the machine and then engages the robot to complete the surgery without the surgeons help

Currently, there is a limited ability to couple preoperative planning with surgical implementation or to integrate medical imaging directly into the operating room. We lack tools, sensors or measurement devices that provide timely and accurate intraoperative data like the position of bone, tool and cutting-guide orientation or location of implants.

The lure of robotics in orthopedics includes the ability to more precisely prepare bone and place implants with the goals of improving recovery, reducing complications, and obviating the need for expensive revision procedures. Robotic-assisted surgery represents an evolution of computer-assisted surgery and can be viewed as an adjunctive tool to improve a physician’s ability to perform the procedure.

Computer navigation

These systems are used during surgery for

1) assessing joint irregularities and joint biomechanics;

2) to make recommendations on how to continue with the procedure,(eg. ligament balancing)

3) to monitor the accuracy of the bone cuts.

The navigation systems have several cameras to track surgical instrumentation, boney geometry and alignment. The cameras communicate with instruments and boney landmarks through light-emitting diodes(LEDs). The surgeon always has the option to override the information given by the computer. The surgeon is not limited to “predefined cutting zones”, as in robotic surgery. Each of these approaches has certain limitations and benefits. Clinical functionality is most important.