Abstract:
Background: Spinal fusion with pedicle screw fixation has become the gold standard of surgical treatment of degenerative conditions of the
lumbar spine. The main drawback of this technique is its invasiveness associated with high complication rates. Consequently, a variety of
minimally invasive spine procedures have been developed, the cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw fixation being one of most promising.
The study aimed to evaluate the imaging features, early clinical outcomes and complications of this new technique.
Material and methods: The study included 38 patients who underwent spinal fusion with CBT pedicle screw fixation between January 2016
and January 2018. The mean follow-up after surgery was 6 months.
Results: The surgical procedure included small midline laminectomy approach, bilateral facetectomy, unilateral or bilateral intervertebral
cage insertion and navigation guided CBT pedicle screw fixation of the spine. Standing X-ray imaging was obtained prior to discharge and
at three months after surgery. Follow-up CT scans at 1 year postoperatively were used to assess the fusion status. The mean blood loss,
operation time and postoperative morbidity were significantly lower compared to traditional fusion techniques.
Conclusions: The CBT approach is comparable to the traditional techniques in terms of successful fusion rates and clinical outcomes, but
with additional benefits of less blood loss, less muscle damage and earlier functional recovery.
Description:
Department of Neurosurgery, Republican Clinical Hospital, Nicolae Testemitsanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, The IVth Congress of Radiology and Medical Imaging of the Republic of Moldova with international participation, Chisinau, May 31 – June 2, 2018