Percutaneous iliac screw placement: description of a new minimally invasive technique

Neurosurg Focus. 2008;25(2):E17. doi: 10.3171/FOC/2008/25/8/E17.

Abstract

Minimally invasive spinal instrumentation techniques have evolved tremendously over the past decade. Although there have been numerous reports of lumbar instrumentation performed via a percutaneous or minimal incisional route, to date there have been no reports of minimally invasive iliac screw placement. A method was developed for accurate placement of minimally invasive iliac screw placement based on a modification of currently available percutaneous lumbar instrumentation techniques. The method involves fluoroscopically guided insertion of a cannula-based screw system, and this technique was successful applied to treat an L-5 burst fracture with L-4 to iliac spinal stabilization via a minimally invasive approach. This report demonstrates the feasibility of percutaneous iliac screw instrumentation. However, future studies will be needed to validate the safety and efficacy of this approach.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Bone Screws*
  • Diskectomy, Percutaneous / instrumentation
  • Diskectomy, Percutaneous / methods
  • Diskectomy, Percutaneous / trends
  • Humans
  • Ilium / pathology
  • Ilium / surgery*
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / pathology
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / instrumentation*
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / methods*
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / trends
  • Spinal Fractures / pathology
  • Spinal Fractures / surgery