This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Study: Image-guidance technology virtually eliminates reoperation rates for malpositioned screws
Researchers investigated the intraoperative revision and reoperation rates of lumbar pedicle screw placement using either an image-guided open or percutaneous placement method and found the imaging technology reduced revision rates and the rate of malpositioned pedicle screws.
The researchers reviewed 199 cases of 3-D image-guided lumbar pedicle screw instrumentation from November 2006 to December 2011, noting screw or K-wire removal, repositioning or eventual abandonment of insertion. The researchers determined statistical significance between the rates of the two groups using Chi-square test.
Results showed the overall intraoperative revision rate of image-guided screws was 4.6%. Significantly more revisions were needed in the patients with percutaneously inserted screws (7.5%) compared with those in whom the open technique was used (2.7%); however, if K-wire revisions were removed from the totals, there was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative revision rates between the percutaneous and open groups (2.1% vs. 2.7%), according to the researchers. There were also no reoperations for malpositioned screws.
The researchers concluded the technology may eliminate the need for reoperation of malpositioned screws and may be a more cost-effective way of preventing neurovascular injuries and revision surgery. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosures: Santos reports ongoing research supported by SI-Bone. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.