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A Novel Vertebral Stabilization Method for Producing Contusive Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: January 5, 2015
Biomechanical comparison of posterior cervical fixation
H Mihara1, B C Cheng, S M David
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison, USA.
Spine
|July 28, 2001
Summary
The Wavy Rod system offers superior posterior cervical fixation stability compared to traditional methods. This novel technique significantly reduces motion in axial compression and flexion-extension, enhancing spinal stabilization.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Spinal biomechanics
- Biomaterials in medicine
Background:
- Traditional posterior cervical fixation methods include interspinous wiring (Rogers' or Bohlman's) and more recent plate techniques.
- The Wavy Rod system, developed in 1983, is an alternative interspinous fixation technique with reported clinical utility in Japan.
- Prior biomechanical studies on the Wavy Rod system were not identified by the authors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce an alternative posterior cervical fixation technique using wavy-shaped rods.
- To compare the in vitro biomechanical stability of the Wavy Rod system against other posterior cervical fixation methods.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different fixation techniques in stabilizing the cervical spine.
Main Methods:
- Biomechanical testing of four posterior cervical fixation techniques on human cadaveric cervical spines (C5-C6 motion segment).
- Techniques evaluated: intact spine, wavy-shaped rods with cables, interspinous wiring with cables, triple wiring with grafts, and lateral mass plate fixation.
- Nondestructive static biomechanical testing under flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation using a material testing machine and extensometers.
Main Results:
- The Wavy Rod construct demonstrated significantly less motion in axial compression and flexion-extension compared to other techniques.
- All tested techniques restored cervical motion segment stability to at least the pre-destabilization level.
- Lateral mass plate fixation provided the greatest stability in lateral bending, though not statistically significant compared to the intact segment.
Conclusions:
- All four posterior cervical fixation techniques effectively restored cervical motion segment stability.
- The Wavy Rod system emerged as the most effective technique for stabilizing the cervical motion segment, particularly under axial compression and flexion-extension loading.
- The Wavy Rod system represents a viable and effective alternative for posterior cervical fixation.
