Rongping Sha
With the development of minimally invasive surgery and intelligent medical technologies, traditional rigid surgical robots have gradually revealed limitations in complex orthopedic ligament reconstruction procedures, particularly in terms of insufficient dexterity and difficulty adapting to narrow anatomical spaces. During the processes of bone tunnel creation and ligament graft delivery, surgical instruments must possess both high flexibility to maneuver around soft tissues and sufficient stiffness to ensure precise and stable operation. Therefore, achieving dynamic switching between flexible and rigid mechanical properties has become an important research direction in the field of orthopedic surgical robotics. Based on this background, this paper explores the application potential of a biomimetic continuum robot utilizing phase change materials (PCMs) in orthopedic ligament reconstruction surgery. Through a literature review, the paper examines the current development of continuum robots and phase change materials, analyzes the dexterous operational advantages of continuum robots in minimally invasive medical procedures, and investigates the stiffness-regulation characteristics of phase change materials. Building upon these findings, a novel biomimetic continuum robot structure integrating a tensegrity framework with phase change materials is proposed. This design enables dynamic switching between a "flexible navigation" mode and a "rigid fixation" mode, thereby offering a promising solution for enhancing surgical adaptability and precision in orthopedic ligament reconstruction.