Abstract
Augmented reality (AR) is gaining popularity in gaming, industrial, military, and medical fields. Neurosurgical applications are currently limited and underdeveloped.
The cadaver lab session was prepared with the currently available AR equipment and software. Pedicle instrumentation was performed from thoracic 1 to the pelvis with either fluoroscopy or AR.
A total of 38 screws were placed. There were no major breaches on the fluoroscopy-assisted side. Among the AR screws, 3 had a major medial breach and 4 had a major inferior breach. The cause of a 3 breaches appeared to be related to an error in the starting position, as their overall orientation remained correctly parallel to the original trajectory.
The article discusses the potential and limitations of AR in its current state and identifies strategies for successful AR application in future surgery.
