Abstract
Objectives
We wanted to assess the stability of distal instrumentation using the bilateral S1 and sacral alar screws for the treatment of degenerative lumbar deformity.
Summary of the Literature Review
Various instrumentation methods have been introduced for increasing the strength of lumbosacral fusion. However, there are not many clinical studies that have evaluated the effectiveness of a sub-S1 alar screw for treating degenerative lumbar deformity surgery.
Materials and Methods
A total of 39 patients with degenerative lumbar deformity were treated by long fusion and we retrospectively analyzed these patients after a minimum follow-up of 1 year. All the patients underwent an operation with distal instrumentation using either bilateral S1 screws alone (the S1 group) or additional bilateral sub-S1 sacral alar screws (the SA group). There were 19 patients in the S1 group and 20 patients in the SA group. The stability of the distal instrumentation was assessed by breakage or backout of a rod and/or screws based on simple radiography.
Results
Instability of the distal instrumentation was detected in 6 cases (32%) in the S1 group and in 1 case (5%) in the SA group. The SA group had a more stability of the distal instrumentation than that of the S1 group with a significant difference (P<0.05). Distal instrumentation was unstable in 6 (19%) of the 32 cases with an anterior metal cage through posterior interbody fusion at L5-S1 and in 1(14%) of 7 cases without it at L5-S1. There was no significant difference in the stability of distal instrumentation in each group according to whether or not their L5-S1 was treated with an interbody cage (P>0.05).
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Table 1.
Table 2.
Table 3.
Table 4.
Distal instrumentation | S1 screw alone (n=19) | Sacral alar screw (n=20) |
---|---|---|
Stable | 13 | 19 |
Unstable | 6 | 1 |