[Neon--a new angle-stable implant system for dorsal occipitocervical instrumentation. Biomechanical comparison with...

Posterior instrumentation of the occipitocervical spine is well-established for different indications. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether posterior internal fixation of the occipitocervical spine with the new implant system improves primary biomechanical stability. Primary stability was significantly increased in all load cases with the new modular implant system compared to the other implant systems. Pedicle screw instrumentation tended to be stabler compared to lateral mass screws; nevertheless, significant differences could be observed only for lateral bending. As the experimental design precluded any cyclic testing, the data represent only the primary stability of the implants. In summary, this study showed that posterior instrumentation of the cervical spine using the new neon occipito-cervical system improves primary biomechanical stability compared to the CerviFix system and the Olerud cervical rod spinal system.