Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Leigh A. Ahrendtsen is a leading researcher in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery, with a primary focus on the clinical application and accuracy of robot-assisted navigation. Her major contributions center on validating the safety and precision of robotic systems for pedicle screw placement, a critical component of spinal fusion. In her landmark 2019 study, she demonstrated exceptional pedicle screw accuracy in the first 56 consecutive cases of navigated robot-assisted surgery (90 citations), establishing a benchmark for the emerging technology. She further advanced the field by proving the feasibility and efficiency of placing pedicle screws from the lateral decubitus position during single-position lateral lumbar interbody fusion (76 citations), a technique that reduces operative time and patient repositioning. Her comprehensive analysis of the first 100 robotic-assisted cases at a single institution (62 citations) provided crucial safety and accuracy data, helping to standardize best practices. Through this body of work, Ahrendtsen has been instrumental in demonstrating that robotic navigation can enhance surgical precision while maintaining a strong safety profile, paving the way for wider clinical adoption of these advanced technologies in spine surgery.