Superior Precision Through 3-D Computer-Assisted Spine Surgery

In the hands of an experienced surgical team, the O-arm® Surgical Imaging System (Medtronic) allows for a level of precision and safety in spinal surgery that was not possible in the recent past. Several Cleveland Clinic locations ‒ Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston as well as Center for Spine Health locations at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus and Hillcrest Hospital in Northeast Ohio ‒ are among the few centers in the United States offering this advanced 3-D imaging technology in the OR.

Left: Intraoperative image showing placement of screws in the lumbar spine. Right: Intraoperative images showing placement of screws in the and cervical spine.

In the hands of an experienced surgical team, the O-arm® Surgical Imaging System (Medtronic) allows for a level of precision and safety in spinal surgery that was not possible in the recent past. Several Cleveland Clinic locations ‒ Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston as well as Center for Spine Health locations at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus and Hillcrest Hospital in Northeast Ohio ‒ are among the few centers in the United States offering this advanced 3-D imaging technology in the OR.

What It Is and How It Works

The O-arm is a mobile X-ray system that provides 3-D imaging as well as 2-D fluoroscopic imaging optimized for use in spine surgery. It allows the surgeon to acquire real-time, CT-quality images in the OR that are used to create a 3-D image of the spine. Through integration with the related StealthStation® surgical navigation system, the 3-D image enables superior spinal navigation to facilitate placement of spinal instrumentation with near-perfect accuracy.

Figure. Intraoperative images taken with 3-D computer-assisted surgery enabled by the O-arm Surgical Imaging System.

How It’s Used

The O-arm can be used to aid surgery in any portion of the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine. Its primary uses are for surgical correction of spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and spinal deformities. It also can provide 3-D computer-assisted guidance for spinal reconstruction after decompression.

How Patients Benefit

By enhancing visualization of the spinal anatomy, 3-D computer-assisted spinal surgery with the O-arm can significantly improve the safety of spinal procedures and potentially reduce the need for revision surgeries. And because it enables less-invasive approaches, patients stand to benefit from a shortened postoperative recovery period.