• Ali Moshirfar, Louis G Jenis, Leo R Spector, Patrick J Burke, Elena Losina, Jeffrey N Katz, Frank F Rand, Scott G Tromanhauser, and Robert J Banco.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224-2780, USA. ehenze1@jhmi.edu
• Spine. 2006 Oct 15;31(22):2624-9.

Study DesignRetrospective study.ObjectivesTo determine the frequency of pedicle screw violation of superior nonfused facet joints adjacent to the most cephalad pedicle screws after a midline approach for lumbar fusion.Summary Of Background DataFacet-joint violations have been evaluated in patients undergoing lumbar pedicle screw instrumentation and fusion with a Wiltse muscle-splitting approach, but not via the more common midline approach.MethodsBetween 1995 and 2003, 204 patients underwent this procedure. Computed tomography scans (within 1 year postsurgery) were evaluated independently for superior facet-joint violation. chi tests were used to examine bivariate associations of superior level facet-joint violation, patient age, construct level, diagnosis, and revision status for significance (P < or = 0.05).ResultsSuperior-level facet-joint violation occurred in 24% of patients and 15% of screws, twice as often on the left side (P = 0.0396) than on the right, more frequently in single than in multiple-level procedures (P < 0.0001), and most frequently with the most cephalad screws at L5 (48%). We found no significant associations between violation rates and other designated parameters.ConclusionThe left side, single-level fusion, and most cephalad pedicle screws at L5 are targets for interventions to reduce pedicle violations in this procedure.

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