Zhou LP, Zhang RJ, Li HM, et al. - A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate if RA techniques are superior to conventional freehand (FH) techniques in terms of cranial facet joint protection and four other clinical indexes, namely, the accuracy of pedicle screw placement, the number of surgical revision due to malposition, intraoperative radiation dose, and operative time. Researchers carried out to comprehensive search on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, and WanFang was conducted for the selection of potential eligible literature. The meta-analysis included three randomized controlled trials, two prospective cohort studies, and one retrospective cohort study consisting of 783 patients and 2694 cranial pedicle screws. The data revealed that RA (Renaissance and TINAVI) procedures are superior to conventional FH techniques in terms of protecting the cranial facet joint. RA techniques were found to be accurate and safe in clinical application.