Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review

Augmented reality (AR) navigation refers to novel technologies that superimpose images, such as radiographs and navigation pathways, onto a view of the operative field. The development of AR navigation has focused on improving the safety and efficacy of neurosurgical and orthopedic procedures. In this review, the authors focus on 3 types of AR technology used in spine surgery: AR surgical navigation, microscope-mediated heads-up display, and AR head-mounted displays. Microscope AR and head-mounted displays offer the advantage of reducing attention shift and line-of-sight interruptions inherent in traditional navigation systems. With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent clearance of the XVision AR system (Augmedics, Arlington Heights, IL), the adoption and refinement of AR technology by spine surgeons will only accelerate.