Balamurugan Thirugnanam

Manipal Hospital, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Papers

10

Total Citations

41

H-Index

3

About

Balamurugan Thirugnanam is an emerging spine surgeon and researcher whose work sits at the cutting edge of robotic-assisted spinal surgery, with a particular focus on pedicle screw placement accuracy, surgical workflow optimization, and expanding the clinical applications of robotic platforms. Based at a single center in India, Thirugnanam has rapidly built a compelling body of evidence demonstrating that robotic guidance can effectively flatten the surgical learning curve and surpass traditional freehand and fluoroscopic techniques in precision — findings supported by his prospective studies accumulating over 23 citations since 2024. His landmark large-scale study of 750 cases and 3,924 screws represents one of the most substantial Indian datasets validating pinless robotic techniques in thoracolumbar surgery. Thirugnanam has also pushed the boundaries of robotic application into technically demanding procedures, including cervical pedicle screw fixation, spinopelvic fusion using S2 alar-iliac screws, robotic-assisted kyphoplasty, and anterior cervical approaches — each supported by custom instrumentation innovations. His rigorous investigation into error sources in robotic surgery further underscores a commitment to patient safety and continuous improvement, making his work essential reading for surgeons adopting robotic spinal technology.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

3
H-Index
10
Papers
41
Total Citations
4
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
Flattening the learning curve – Early experience of robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement in spine surgery
12 citations · 2024
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2025 (8 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 14
🏛 Institutions: Manipal Hospital, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Top Papers

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Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
Content generated · 17 days ago