Ultrasonic bone scalpel in spine surgery.

Background: Spine surgery has always been considered technically demanding even in the hands of the most experienced surgeon on account of close proximity of vital soft tissue structures. Technical advancements over the last few decades have been crucial for the progress of this complex speciality which not only increased the surgical accuracy, but patient safety as well. Ultrasonic devices are one such innovation based on piezoelectric vibrations, patented by Fernando Bianchetti, Domenico Vercellotti, and Tomaso Vercellotti in 1988.

Methods: We did an extensive literature search on ultrasonic devices and their applications in the field of spine surgery.

Results: We present the various ultrasonic bone devices available including their physical, technologic and clinical aspects in spine surgery. We also attempt to cover the limitations and future advances of Ultrasonic bone scalpel (UBS) in particular, which would be interesting and informative for any spine surgeon who is novice in this field.

Conclusion: UBS has been found to be safe and effective in all forms of spine surgeries offering distinct advantages over conventional instruments, although limited by an inherent learning curve.