Odontoid cannulated screw fixation using digital navigation based on three-dimensional printing technique / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Odontoid fracture is very common in cervical spine injuries, the special position of odontoid process, which is adjacent to important anatomic structure, makes screw placement difficult, and a slight discrepancy in position and orientation of the inserted screw leads to a decrease in intensity of internal fixation, even invalid internal fixation. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop an individualized treatment protocol by which screws can be precisely and safely placed and which is worthy of clinical popularization. OBJECTIVE:To study the navigation of Mimics software and three dimensional (3D)-printed module in anterior odontoid cannulated screw fixation and to investigate its feasibility and accuracy. METHODS:Sixteen human cadaveric cervical spines were scanned by a continuous thin-slice CT scanner. Original DICOM CT images were three-dimensional y reconstructed using Mimics software. The screw channel and support column were designed for C2 vertebra odontoid cannulated screw fixation for odontoid fracture. Segmentation of bone surface was performed. Navigation modules with screw channel were built using 3D printing technique. Navigation modules were used to aid screw placement. Screw fitting and placement were evaluated using X-ray and CT scan. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Total y 16 navigation modules were built and 22 screws were implanted. During and after screw placement, the cortical bone along screw channel and surrounding the vertebral body was not cracked. Postoperative X-ray and CT scans showed that some factors regarding screw placement such as entry point, orientation and depth of placement were consistent with those ideal factors simulated by Mimics software. The navigation modules were closely attached to the corresponding bony structure in front of the vertebral body, with a satisfactory gomphosis. Screw fitting and stability were good during application. These results verify that with the aid of navigation module, anterior odontoid cannulated screw fixation is reliable for treatment of odontoid fracture, which provides insights into the popularization of 3D printing-based digital navigation technique in orthopedic implantation.