Microtechnologies in neurosurgery.

In the history of medicine, the understanding of the nervous system, both from an anatomical and a functional point of view, has always required new and more sophisticated tools. It has been widely demonstrated that engineering has helped towards this end. Incorporation of improved technical tools has expanded the available armamentarium to perform neurological surgery. Neurosurgery probably presents the most major challenges and always benefits from the introduction of sophisticated tools, from cranial trephination to the most modern robotics. This review examines the role of engineering to assist in neurosurgery.