From complexity to clarity: A perspective on personalized spine care through genetic, psychosocial, and technological advancements

Abstract

Personalized medicine (PM) is transforming spine care by shifting from standardized, "one-size-fits-all" treatments to patient-specific strategies informed by genetic, environmental, psychosocial, and technological factors. Spinal disorders remain a leading cause of disability and healthcare burden worldwide. PM offers a promising approach to addressing their complexity through genomics, advanced imaging, artificial intelligence (AI), and biomarker profiling, enabling tailored interventions that improve diagnostic accuracy, predict treatment outcomes, and guide decisions between surgical and conservative approaches. Key themes include genetic susceptibility to disc degeneration, integration of polygenic risk scores, genotype-based pharmacologic decisions, and AI-driven diagnostics and surgical planning. Innovative tools such as three-dimensional printing, robotic navigation, and wearable technologies are further personalizing care. However, significant barriers, such as high costs, fragmented data systems, workforce gaps, and ethical concerns, limit widespread adoption. Looking forward, emerging technologies like smart implants, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-based therapies, and neural interfaces promise to reshape spine care. To fully realize these benefits, future efforts must address affordability, regulatory reform, and clinician training. While this review highlights promising trends, limitations include potential selection bias and rapidly evolving evidence that may outpace current literature. Overall, PM holds great promise to deliver more precise, effective, and patient-centered spine care.