Objective
Accurately inserting pedicle screws is the key point of posterior pedicle screw fixation for lower cervical spine (C3–C7) instability. 3D printing technology can improve the accuracy of screw placement. This study compared the safety of 3D‐printed flexible drill guiding template vs. traditional rigid drill guiding template for lower cervical pedicle screw insertion.
Methods
This was a retrospective study. A total of 34 patients who underwent lower cervical pedicle screw fixation from March 2018 to May 2021 were enrolled in this study, and they were divided into the flexible drill flexible drill group and the traditional drill group. A total of 18 patients in the flexible drill flexible drill group underwent pedicle screw fixation assisted by 3D printed flexible drill guiding templates for the lower cervix, and 16 patients in the traditional drill group underwent pedicle screw fixation assisted by 3D printed regular drill guiding templates for the lower cervix. The length of the incision and intraoperative blood loss during surgery were recorded and compared for the two groups. The grade, deviation of the screw entry point, deviation of the screw medial angle and screw length were measured and compared after surgery for the two groups by independent‐sample tests.
Results
There was a significant difference in the length of the incision and blood loss between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference between the two groups for grade (P = 0.016). The deviation of the screw entry point was 0.65 ± 0.50 mm in the flexible drill group and 0.78 ± 0.83 mm in the traditional drill group. The deviation of the screw medial angle was 2.14 ± 1.78 in the flexible drill group and 4.23 ± 2.51 in the traditional drill group, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Compared with regular guiding techniques, lower cervical pedicle screw placement assisted by multistep navigation templates and flexible K‐wires results in less trauma and better safety.
Objective: For pelvic ring fractures, screw fixation became a popular technique for its good biomechanical performance. The safe insertion of anterograde the transpubic screw is important for patients with anterior pelvic ring fractures. This paper is to research the anatomical parameters of the anterograde transpubic screw corridor and evaluate the safety of anterograde transpubic screw placement assisted by the assembled navigation template.Methods: Fifty subjects with normal pelvic, 25 men and 25 women, age from 20 to 60 were enrolled, and their ilium were 3D reconstructed. The ilium was divided into zone I, zone II and zone III. Zone I and zone III was defined as medial and lateral to the obturator foramen, respectively. Zone II is located between zones I and III. The corridor A is formed by zone I and zone II and corridor B is formed by zone I, zone II and zone III. The diameter and length of the inner circle, the distance from the center of the inner circle to the posterior superior and to the inferior iliac spine of corridor A and corridor B were measured, respectively. Nine patients with pelvic fractures underwent anterograde transpubic screw and transverse sacroiliac screw placement assisted by the assembled navigation template and were retrospectively analyzed. Operation time, blood loss, incision length and fluoroscopy times were recorded. Grading score and Matta score were evaluated after surgery.
Results:In the 50 subjects, the diameter of corridor A was 11.16 AE 2.13 mm, and that of corridor B was 8.54 AE 1.52 mm. The length of corridor A was 86.39 AE 9.35 mm, and that of corridor B was 117.05 AE 5.91 mm. The surface distance from the screw entry point to the posterior superior iliac spine in corridor A was 109.31 AE 11.06 mm, and that in corridor B was 127.86 AE 8.23 mm. The surface distance from the screw entry point to the posterior inferior iliac spine in corridor A was 91.16 AE 10.34 mm, and that in corridor B was 106.92 AE 7.91 mm. A total of 18 sacroiliac transverse screws and 11 anterograde transpubic screws were inserted assisted by assembled navigation templates for nine patients. The average operation time was 108.75 AE 25.71 min, the blood loss was 141.11 AE 50.21 ml, the incision length was 14 AE 4.62 cm, and the intraoperative fluoroscopy was 17.89 AE 4.01 times.
Conclusion:Transpubic screw corridor can be obtained by 3D reconstruction. For the majority of patients, the anterograde pubic ramus corridor accommodated a 6.5 mm diameter screw. It is safe to use anterograde transpubic screw placement assisted by an assembled navigation template.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.