ABSTRACT
Image-guided spinal navigation is a computer-based surgical technology that was developed to improve intraoperative orientation to the unexposed anatomy during complex spinal procedures (1,2). It evolved from the principles of stereotaxy, which have been used by neurosurgeons for several decades to help localize intracranial lesions. Stereotaxy is defined as the localization of a specific point in space using three-dimensional (3-D) coordinates. The application of stereotaxy to intracranial surgery initially involved the use of an external frame attached to the patient’s head. However, the evolution of computer-based technologies has eliminated the need for a frame and has allowed for the expansion of stereotactic technology into other surgical fields such as spinal surgery.
