Anti-skiving guide tube and surgical system including the same

A method of operating a surgical system to facilitate spinal procedure on a vertebral body, the surgical system including a robotic manipulator comprising an arm and a tool holder coupled to the arm, wherein the tool holder defines a tool holder channel extending along a tool holder axis and the tool holder channel defining a tool holder diameter;

• a guide tube including a body extending along a body axis and defining a body channel that is configured to receive a surgical tool, wherein the body has a proximal portion defining the body channel and having an outer proximal portion diameter that is less than or equal to the tool holder diameter, and the body has a distal portion extending from the proximal portion along the body axis and further defining the body channel, and wherein the distal portion of the body has a distal outer diameter and includes a bulbous portion having a bulbous diameter greater than the distal outer diameter, the bulbous portion including a side surface disposed about the body axis and comprising abrasive features extending away from the body axis, the method comprising the steps of:
• controlling the robotic manipulator to align the tool holder such that the tool holder axis is aligned with a target axis defined relative to the vertebral body;
• inserting the guide tube in the tool holder for aligning the body axis of the guide tube with the target axis;
• and
• engaging the surface of the vertebral body with the side surface of the bulbous portion to minimize skiving of the guide tube relative to the surface of the vertebral body.

A surgical system comprising:

• a robotic manipulator comprising an arm and a tool holder coupled to the arm, wherein the tool holder defines a tool holder channel;
• a surgical tool;
• and
• a guide tube configured to freely slide relative to the tool holder channel and being separated from the surgical tool, the guide tube comprising a body defining a channel along a body axis that is configured to receive the surgical tool therethrough such that the surgical tool is configured to freely slide relative to the guide tube, wherein the body has a distal portion having a distal outer diameter and comprising a bulbous portion having a bulbous diameter greater than the distal outer diameter, the bulbous portion comprising a side surface disposed about the body axis, and wherein the side surface comprises abrasive features extending away from the body axis.