Journal of spinal disorders & techniques
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Oct 2010
Long-term results of iliac wing fixation below extensive fusions in ambulatory adult patients with spinal disorders.
Case series, level of evidence therapeutic IV. ⋯ In this series, nonunions continue to be a problem, with a rate of 15.3%, however only 6.4% of nonunions were at the lumbosacral junction. Complications specific to iliac screw placement were minimal. These difficult surgeries are known to be plagued with problems and our complication rate is consistent with what is present in the current literature. The use of iliac wing fixation seems to dramatically improve lumbosacral fusion rates with an acceptable complication rate; in addition there seems to be a protective effect in preventing sacral fractures, sacral screw failure, and sacroiliac arthritis.