Ninety-Day Complication and Revision Surgery Rates Using Navigated Robotics in Thoracolumbar Spine Surgery: A PRoGRSS Interim Analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Individually, robotic guidance and 3-dimensional navigation assistance have been shown to improve surgical outcomes and accuracy in spine surgery. The pairing of these technologies may further improve outcomes; however, data are needed to support this theory. In the Prospective Robotic-Guided Registry of Spine Surgery (PRoGRSS), outcomes were tracked for cases using a bone-mounted integrated robotic-assisted navigation system. This interim analysis reports on 90-day complications and revisions. METHODS: Adults undergoing navigated robotic thoracolumbar surgery from 2020 to 2022 were prospectively enrolled by 6 surgeons at 4 distinct centers. Medical, surgical, and robot-related complications and revision surgeries were collected postoperatively for up to 90 days and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 411 surgeries, 3469 screws were implanted. The mean number of levels fused was 4.4 ± 3.7. Intraoperative adverse events occurred in 4.1% of cases, and 0.5% were robot related. The frequency of patients with at least 1 postoperative surgical complication was 6.6%, none being robot related. The frequency of patients with at least 1 postoperative medical complication was 18.2%. The revision surgery rate at 90 days was 1.5%, none of which were robot related. CONCLUSION: This first-of-its-kind study of an integrated navigation and robotic spine platform demonstrates low complication and revision surgery rates for thoracolumbar fusion. This interim analysis of PRoGRSS showed 4.1% intraoperative complications, 6.6% postoperative surgical complications, and 1.5% revision surgeries. With advancements in technology and increased surgical expertise, navigated robotics continues to demonstrate consistently low rates of 90-day complications and revision surgeries, supporting its reliability. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The interim analysis of PRoGRSS suggests that the integration of robotic guidance with 3-dimensional navigation is reproducibly effective in the surgical setting.