Systems and methods for performing minimally invasive spinal surgery with a robotic surgical system using a percutaneous technique

A method of operating a robotic surgical system, the method comprising:

• detecting, by a force sensor, movement of a surgical instrument guide attached to a robotic arm of the robotic surgical system, wherein the surgical instrument guide defines a trajectory comprising a location and an orientation for insertion of a medical implant in a vertebra of a patient;
• storing, by a processor of a computer device, a planned trajectory based on the trajectory of the surgical instrument guide at a defined time;
• after the planned trajectory is defined, detecting, by the force sensor, movement of the surgical instrument guide towards the vertebra;
• constraining and/or maintaining, by the processor, an orientation of the surgical instrument guide along the planned trajectory as the surgical instrument guide is moved through an incision to a surface of the vertebra;
• maintaining, by the processor, a position of the surgical instrument guide as a surgeon passes a drill through the surgical instrument guide and drills a hole in the vertebra;
• and
• constraining and/or maintaining, by the processor, an orientation of the surgical instrument guide along the planned trajectory as the surgical instrument guide is moved away from the vertebra.