Abstract: BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery is developing rapidly. Robot-assisted minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and robot-assisted unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal/posterior lumbar interbody fusion are important posterior minimally invasive surgical approaches to treat lumbar degenerative diseases. However, it is worth discussing which operation method is more advantageous. 
OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy and imaging examination between different operation groups, and discuss the clinical application value of robot-assisted minimally invasive lumbar posterior fusion technology to treat lumbar degenerative diseases. 
METHODS: Clinical data of 83 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases from January 2018 to June 2022 at the Department of Orthopedics, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Of them, 27 patients received robot-assisted minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion treatment (group A); 30 patients received robot-assisted unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal/posterior lumbar interbody fusion treatment (group B), and 26 traditional minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion patients were selected as the control group (group C). There were no significant differences in gender, age, body mass index, surgical segment, preoperative visual analog scale score and Oswestry Disability Index among the three groups (P > 0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, complications, fluoroscopic dose, fluoroscopic time, and fluoroscopic frequency were compared among the three groups. Gertzbein-Robbins’ classification was used to evaluate the accuracy of percutaneous pedicle screw. Visual analog scale and Oswestry Disability Index scores were evaluated after surgery. The excellent and good rate of the three surgical options was evaluated using Macnab’s criteria. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The operation time of group A was significantly shorter than that of groups B and C (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between group B and group C (P > 0.05). The intraoperative blood loss in group B was significantly less than that in group A, and that in group A was significantly less than that in group C (P < 0.05). (2) The fluoroscopic dose, fluoroscopic time, and fluoroscopic frequency of group C were significantly higher than those of groups A and B (P < 0.05). (3) Visual analog scale score and Oswestry Disability Index in the three groups significantly improved after operation when compared with that before operation (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference among the three groups 1 day and 6 months after surgery (P > 0.05). (4) Postoperative imaging showed that the accuracy of percutaneous pedicle screw placement in groups A and B was better than that in group C (P < 0.05). (5) There was no significant difference in the excellent and good rate of MacNab criteria among the three groups (P > 0.05). (6) There was no significant difference in complications among the three groups (P > 0.05). (7) The results indicated that robot-assisted minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and robot-assisted unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal/posterior lumbar interbody fusion are effective surgery methods for lumbar degenerative diseases. Compared with traditional minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, robot-assisted minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery has higher efficiency, less intraoperative radiation and higher internal fixation accuracy, which has a good clinical application value.

Key words: robot surgery, unilateral biportal endoscopic surgery, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, lumbar degenerative disease, screw placement accuracy