Forces Exerted During Robotic Needle Insertion Into Human Vertebra

Abstract

The purpose of this study is measurement of forces exerted during the robotic needle insertion into human vertebra and comparison between robotic and manual needle insertion. Axial forces exerted during robotic insertion into human vertebrae fixed with water solution of formaldehyde did not exceed 25 N when the feed rate was no more than 0.5mm/s. There was no statistically significant influence of formaldehyde fixation on axial forces exerted. The forces exerted during robotic insertion were as small as less than 50% of those during manual insertion partly because of sufficiently wide angle of the needle twisting.