Topic: Elevating Spine Surgery with AI: Current Landscape and Future Frontiers

The advancement of research geared towards a more comprehensive understanding of spinal conditions continually provides information about ever-evolving treatment options. However, tailoring optimal treatment plans for individual patients is intricate, often requiring a comprehensive consideration of their medical history and individual characteristics. Furthermore, clinicians and researchers face difficulties in accessing relevant data due to concerns regarding patient data privacy, hindering their seamless integration with current guidelines and novel indices. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that emulates human cognitive abilities through specialized programs and computers. Its applications in everyday clinical practice include surgical robots that enhance the precision of spinal surgeries and the prediction of patient outcomes based on various radiographic, clinical, and surgical parameters. Additionally, such systems can create virtual artificial patient populations mirroring real patient characteristics. The purpose of this Special Issue is to explore the contributions and merits of AI and to investigate the current state and future trends of AI in the field of spinal surgery.

30 Jun 2024