Dr. Hanbing Zhou performs 1st robotic-assisted SI joint fusion at Connecticut hospital

Hartford (Conn.) Hospital’s Hanbing Zhou, MD, recently performed the facility’s first robotic-assisted sacroiliac joint fusion.

Three things to know:

1. The robotic arm docks at the place where the screw will be applied and assists the surgeon with accurate implantation, avoiding damage to adjacent anatomy.
2. Several studies have estimated that the sacroiliac joint accounts for 15 percent to 30 percent of chronic low back pain.
3. On Jan. 1, 2020, CMS increased the payment rate for minimally invasive SI joint fusions by 27 percent, leading to more surgeons, payers and medical device companies taking a closer look at the MIS SI joint field.