Orthopedic Spine Surgery: 3D Imaging Navigation for Greater Precision

 In the history of spine surgery, the evolution from “blind insertion” based on experience, to “visualized” placement under X-ray guidance, and now to 3D imaging navigation systems, has dramatically improved both safety and precision.

Why Is 3D Imaging Navigation Needed?

The spine is complex. Each vertebra is small and closely surrounded by nerves and blood vessels. A pedicle screw, with a diameter of just 5–7 mm, must be placed with extreme accuracy. Even the slightest deviation may injure nerves or blood vessels, leading to serious complications.

Traditional two-dimensional X-ray imaging provides only limited angles, requiring surgeons to rely heavily on experience. This makes the surgery highly challenging and risky.

The 3D imaging navigation system serves as a “GPS” in the operating room:

• Panoramic visualization – Provides real-time 3D reconstruction of the patient’s spine.
• Accurate positioning – Ensures millimeter-level precision for pedicle screw and interbody cage placement.
• Risk control – Allows immediate assessment and adjustment of screw position, reducing the risk of neural or vascular injury.
• Improved efficiency – Minimizes repeated fluoroscopy and shortens operative time.

Perlove Medical PLX7600 Series 3D C-Arm: Reliable Imaging for Navigation

As the core imaging device for navigation, the C-arm plays an essential role in spine surgery. The Perlove Medical PLX7600 Series 3D C-Arm is a representative solution in this field, delivering superior imaging and seamless integration with navigation systems.

Key Advantages:

1. High-definition 3D imaging
   • A single scan generates panoramic 3D images of the spine with sub-millimeter resolution.
   • Clearly displays vertebral structures, screw positions, and surrounding anatomy.
2. Seamless integration with navigation systems
   • The PLX7600 series can be connected with mainstream surgical navigation systems for real-time image transfer.
   • Surgeons can directly view 3D reconstructions on the navigation interface, improving decision-making accuracy.
3. Reduced radiation exposure
   • Advanced dose optimization ensures high-quality images with significantly lower radiation.
   • Especially important for spine surgeries requiring multiple fluoroscopic views.
4. Wide range of applications
   • Applicable to cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and pelvic procedures.
   • Supports not only spine surgery but also trauma, joint replacement, and selected neurosurgical cases.
5. Enhanced surgical efficiency
   • One scan can support preoperative planning, intraoperative navigation, and postoperative verification.
   • Improves operating room turnover and shortens patient hospitalization.

Clinical Case Highlight

In a scoliosis correction surgery for a teenager, the PLX7600 Series assisted surgeons in placing over 20 pedicle screws with precision. Postoperative CT verification showed an accuracy rate exceeding 98%, significantly higher than that achieved with conventional fluoroscopy. The patient recovered well, with reduced intraoperative bleeding and a lower rate of postoperative complications.

Conclusion

The adoption of 3D imaging navigation has transformed spine surgery from being heavily experience-based to a new era of precision medicine. Advanced solutions such as the Perlove Medical PLX7600 Series 3D C-Arm are powerful enablers of this transformation. In the future, as these technologies continue to advance, spine surgery will become safer, more efficient, and more patient-centered—helping more people stand tall with confidence.