Lateral Mass Intrapedicular Screw Fixation for Subaxial Cervical Spines: A Short- to Medium-Term Retrospective Follow-Up Study of 20 Cases

Abstract

Background Lateral mass intrapedicular screw(LMIS) fixation was introduced in 2021 as an alternative method for the fixation of subaxial cervical spines for the treatment of various cervical spine disease. The objective of this study is to provide a short- to medium-term result of the 20 patients who underwent cervical spine fixation using LMIS. Methods Twenty patients with varying cervical spine pathology who underwent cervical spine fixation using LMIS in a 21-month period were included in the study. Postoperative computed tomography (CT) imaging was used to evaluate the screw placement. Results A total of 105 screws were used. The average screw size used was 3.5 × 14 mm. The average screw angle in the axial plane was 18 degrees. Five screws had breached the inner cortex of the vertebral canal. None of the patients had any postsurgical neurologic deficit. Fifteen screws did not reach the pedicle. Intraoperative fixation was excellent and no screw showed signs of loosening in the subsequent follow-up imaging. Conclusion LMIS is a good alternative to the commonly used methods for subaxial cervical spine fixation and is worth considering in many patients.