Biomechanics of C-7 transfacet screw fixation: Laboratory investigation
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Object. The small diameter of the pedicle can make C-7 pedicle screw insertion dangerous. Although transfacet screws have been studied biomechanically when used in pinning joints, they have not been well studied when used as part of a C7-T1 screw/rod construct. The authors therefore compared C7-T1 fixation using a C-7 transfacet screw/T-1 pedicle screw construct with a construct composed of pedicle screws at both levels. Methods. Each rigid posterior screw/rod construct was placed in 7 human cadaveric C6-T2 specimens (14 total). Specimens were tested in normal condition, after 2-column instability, and once fixated. Nondestructive, nonconstraining pure moments (maximum 1.5 Nm) were applied to induce flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation while recording 3D motion optoelectronically. The entire construct was then loaded to failure by dorsal linear force. Results. There was no significant difference in angular range of motion between the 2 instrumented groups during any loading mode (p > 0.11, nonpaired t-tests). Both constructs reduced motion to < 2° in any direction and allowed significantly less motion than in the normal condition. The C-7 facet screw/T-1 pedicle screw construct allowed a small but significantly greater lax zone than the pedicle screw/rod construct during lateral bending, and it failed under significantly less load than the pedicle screw/rod construct (p < 0.001). Conclusions. When C-7 transfacet screws are connected to T-1 pedicle screws, they provide equivalent stability of constructs formed by pedicle screws at both levels. Although less resistant to failure, the transfacet screw construct should be a viable alternative in patients with healthy bone.
Keywords
Cervical facet joint, Cervicothoracic fixation, Instrumentation rigidity, Spine fusion
Publication Date
9-1-2009
Publication Title
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
ISSN
15475654
E-ISSN
15475646
Volume
11
Issue
3
First Page
338
Last Page
343
PubMed ID
19769516
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.3171/2009.3.SPINE08785
Recommended Citation
Horn, Eric M.; Reyes, Phillip M.; Baek, Seungwon; Senoglu, Mehmet; Theodore, Nicholas; Sonntag, Volker K.H.; and Crawford, Neil R., "Biomechanics of C-7 transfacet screw fixation: Laboratory investigation" (2009). Translational Neuroscience. 789.
https://scholar.barrowneuro.org/neurobiology/789