Guiding chunnel-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement for thoracolumbar vertebral fractures not accompanied by nerve injury / 介入放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the operation time,radiation exposure time and the screw placement accuracy of a newly-developed guiding chunnel-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement technique for thoracolumbar vertebral fractures not accompanied by nerve injury.Methods The clinical data of 35 patients with thoracolumbar vertebral fractures not accompanied by nerve injury,who were treated with newly-developed guiding chunnel-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement technique during the period from July 2010 to October 2012,were retrospectively analyzed.A total of 178 procedures of pedicle screw placement were performed in the 35 patients by the one and the same surgeon.The operation time and radiation exposure time of each pedicle screw placement procedure were recorded,and based on the findings of postoperative consecutive two CT scans of the operated vertebrae the screw placement accuracy was graded and evaluated.Results The technical success rate of screw placement was 100％.The mean time used for a single pedicle screw placement was (11.35±2.82) minutes,the average radiation exposure time was (8.06± 2.15) seconds.Screw placement accuracy of grade A was obtained in 156 screws (87.64％),grade B in 20 screws (11.24％),grade C in one screw (0.56％),and grade D in one screw (0.56％).Conclusion The newly-developed guiding chunnel-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement technique is very helpful in localizing the puncture point,in improving the screw placement accuracy,and in reducing both operation time and radiation exposure time.