Assessment of the outcome of percutaneous pedicle screws in management of degenerative and traumatic dorsal and lumbar pathologies

Abstract

Background: Percutaneous pedicle screw technique is relatively a recent technique that evolved the concept of posterior spinal instrumentation, utilizing familiar fluoroscopic landmarks to guide the procedure of screws insertion, which despite being technically demanding, it avoids the Musculo-ligamentous damage associated with the conventional posterior technique. Aim of the work: This study aims to report our experience in managing traumatic and degenerative spine pathologies by the minimally invasive percutaneous technique and assessing its radiological and functional outcome. Materials and methods: A prospective observational study that included the analysis of the functional, operative, biochemical, and radiological outcomes of 20 patients who underwent uniplanar fluoroscopic-guided dorsal and/or lumbar percutaneous pedicle screw fixation procedures with or without fusion using the sextant, longitude, and Spineart system and any reported complications between January 2018 and December 2019. Results: The clinical and radiological analysis of 100 percutaneous pedicle screws in degenerative (n:11) and traumatic (n:9) dorsal and/or lumbar cases revealed that the biomechanical stabilizing characteristics are comparable to the conventional posterior approach with the added benefits of the paraspinal muscle-sparing. Satisfactory functional outcome represented in the improvement of the postoperative back pain visual analog score and Oswestry Disability Index Score with acceptable morbidity and complications rate was noticed. Conclusions: Percutanous pedicle screw fixation is a landmark in the evolution of the minimally invasive spine surgery which can be a safe alternative to the conventional posterior muscle stripping technique with a comparable functional and radiological outcome and good biomechanical profile and an acceptable morbidity rate.