Systems and methods for creating planar cuts on a bone are provided utilizing one or more cutting guides assembled to a plurality of bone pins, where the bone pins are inserted on the bone coincident with one or more virtual pin planes defined relative to one or more of the planar cuts. Alignment guides are also disclosed herein that aid in the creation of pilot holes for receiving a cutting block in a desired position and orientation (POSE). An articulating surgical device actively positions the bone pins coincident with the virtual plane to ensure the cutting guides, when assembled to the pins, aligns one or more guide slots in the desired POSE to create the planar cuts.
