Feasibility and accuracy of orthopaedic surgical robot system for intraoperative navigation to locate bone tunnel in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract Background The combination of navigational system and robotics has the potential to accurately identify and drill bone tunnels in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. This study explores the feasibility and accuracy of bone tunnel positioning using the TiRobot, an orthopaedic surgical robot. Methods The experiment was divided into two groups. In group A, the bone tunnels were positioned using the TiRobot surgical robot ( n = 8). In group B, handheld locators were used for positioning ( n = 8). Results TiRobot can be used for positioning the ACL bone tunnel. The accuracy of positioning the femoral tunnel in group A and B was 1.00 ± 0.20 and 3.10 ± 0.59 mm, respectively ( t = −9.49, P < 0.001). As for tibial tunnel, the accuracy was 1.02 ± 0.20 and 2.64 ± 0.14 mm, respectively ( t = −18.54, P < 0.001). Conclusions The bone tunnel drilling precision using TiRobot for ACL reconstruction surgery was more accurate than traditional surgical techniques.