• Moon-Kyu Kim, Sung-Min Cho, Seung-Hoon You, In-Beom Kim, and Dai-Soon Kwak.
• *Department of Neurosurgery, Gangneung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea †Department of Neurosurgery, Donghae Dong-In Hospital, Donghae, Korea; and ‡Catholic Institute for Applied Anatomy/Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
• Spine. 2015 Aug 1; 40 (15): 1181-6.

Study DesignCadaver study and clinical application; a pilot study.ObjectiveTo minimize muscle dissection and enhance accuracy of cervical pedicle screw (CPS) placement by using a percutaneous cannula system.Summary Of Background DataMany studies have reported that the most frequent misplacement of CPSs is breach of the lateral wall; thus, an easy technique for securing medial convergence is required. We developed a percutaneous cannula system for this purpose and report the results of a cadaver study and its clinical application.MethodsA cadaver study was conducted to confirm the possibility of this percutaneous technique in 5 specimens (50 CPSs, C3-C7). Then, the technique was applied in 8 patients (40 CPSs, C3-C7). The surgical technique was a hybrid of miniopen surgery and the use of percutaneous cannula system under lateral fluoroscopic guidance. Entry holes were made in the open field and a cannula was used for tapping and insertion of CPSs. A stiff pedicle probe through the cannula was used to locate the pedicle in the lateral mass.ResultsIn the cadaver study, there were 12 (24%) misplacements among 50 CPSs used. The hybrid technique was applied clinically in 4 traumatic, 2 degenerative, and 2 failed back surgery lesions. Thirty CPSs were inserted using the percutaneous cannula system and 10 were inserted using a cannula as a retractor. Misplacement occurred in 6.7% (n = 2) and 20% (n = 2) pedicles, respectively, and there were no symptomatic complications (total incidence, 10%). An additional incision for the cannula system can be made for 2-level CPS insertions.ConclusionUse of the percutaneous cannula system facilitated a secure convergence angle for CPS insertion without extending muscle dissection or shifting cervical alignment because of muscle retraction. Moreover, this system can be used for CPS insertion in bull-necked patients.Level Of Evidence3.

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