European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Computer assistance has been shown to improve significantly the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw insertion under clinical conditions. The technique of image-guided navigation is described in this article, based on the authors' clinical experience of over 4 years. ⋯ Pros and cons of computer guidance are discussed. The authors predict computer navigation will be used in percutaneous and minimally invasive procedures in the near future.
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This review will summarize the major efforts currently underway to develop osteoinductive bone graft substitutes for minimally invasive spine fusions. The primary categories of substitute include purified bone growth factors, recombinant bone growth factors, and growth factors delivered by gene therapy approaches. Clinical trials are underway for the purified and recombinant bone growth factors and pre-clinical studies have yielded promising results for a variety of gene therapy techniques for generating bone.
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Comparative Study
The anatomic variability of human cervical pedicles: considerations for transpedicular screw fixation in the middle and lower cervical spine.
Transpedicular screw fixation has recently been shown to be successful in stabilizing the middle and lower cervical spine. Controversy exists, however, over its efficacy, due to the smaller size of cervical pedicles and the proximity of significant neurovascular structures to both lateral and medial cortical walls. To aid the spinal surgeon in the insertion of pedicle screws, a number of studies have been performed to quantify the gross dimensions and angulations of the cervical pedicle. ⋯ The pedicle slices were found to exhibit substantial variability in composition and shape, not only between individual spines and vertebral levels, but also within the pedicle axis. However, the lateral cortex was consistently found to be thinner than the medial cortex in all samples. These physical findings must be noted by surgeons attempting transpedicular screw fixation in the cervical spine.
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Retroperitoneal videoscopic spine surgery has been developed in our department since 1994. It has been used not only at the lumbar, but also at the thoracolumbar and lumbosacral level. Thirty-eight patients have been operated on. ⋯ The complications related to the approach were the same as those seen with open surgery; however, the videoscopic approach seems to us less invasive, with cosmetic benefit, less blood loss, and more rapid recovery. A video-assisted technique appears to be a good compromise between videoscopic technique and open surgery. With the development of these techniques, few indications remain for open anterior surgery on the lumbar spine in our opinion.
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Comparative Study
Posterior lumbar interbody fusion combined with instrumented postero-lateral fusion: 5-year results in 60 patients.
The technique of posterior lumbar interbody fusion allows decompression of the spinal canal and interbody fusion through one posterior incision. A number of techniques exist to achieve additional posterior stability. The literature reports wide variation in outcomes for these different techniques. ⋯ All patients showed radiographic evidence of stable fixation. Four patients sustained a neurological complication, three of which resolved completely. The combination of PLIF with IPLF demonstrates clinical success, a stable circumferential fixation and a low complication rate.