Papers
13
Total Citations
146
H-Index
7
About
Kazuo Yonenobu is a biomedical engineer and surgical robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of orthopedic surgery, robotic assistance, and computer-integrated medical systems. He is best known for pioneering robotic solutions to femoral fracture reduction, most notably the development of FRAC-Robo — a six-degrees-of-freedom robotic system designed to assist surgeons in anatomically realigning fractured femurs while reducing radiation exposure and physical strain during lengthy procedures. His landmark 2004 paper on femur fracture reduction robots (36 citations) and subsequent clinical validation study (32 citations) established him as a leading voice in image-guided, robot-assisted orthopedic surgery. Yonenobu has also made significant contributions to minimally invasive spinal procedures, investigating forces and torques during robotic needle insertion into human vertebrae and developing body-mounted surgical assistant robots for spinal puncture surgery. In later work, he extended his biomechanical expertise to rehabilitation engineering, examining pelvic and trunk movement dynamics during wheeled upright walker use. Across more than two decades of research, Yonenobu's contributions have meaningfully advanced the precision, safety, and reproducibility of complex orthopedic interventions through intelligent robotic integration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Development of a femur fracture reduction robot36 citations · 2004
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- 3Analysis of Forces during Robotic Needle Insertion to Human Vertebra17 citations · 2003
- 4Development of a computer-integrated femoral head fracture reduction system13 citations · 2005
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- 6Forces and torques during robotic needle insertion to human vertebra9 citations · 2003
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