Navigation Guided MIS Tubular Decompression in Cervical Spine

MIS surgery has been defined by the AO Foundation as an approach to spine surgery that helps in reducing muscle damage, blood loss, and postoperative pain [1]. With the advent of newer instruments and imaging technologies, the application of MIS approaches to all areas of spine, both pathologically and anatomically, has expanded at an enormous pace. The presence of real-time image guidance and navigation capabilities along with the computing ability to process and reconstruct these data into an interactive three-dimensional spinal “model” has helped improve the precision targeting of specific anatomical structures with minimal collateral damage to the surrounding tissues. Emphasis can now be laid on decreasing postoperative morbidity and faster recovery times due to the inherent surgical advantages as described in the definition of MIS surgery. One of the areas it has expanded into is the cervical spine.