Imaging of the postoperative spine

Area of Science:

• Spine surgery
• Orthopedic instrumentation
• Radiology

Background:

• Spinal instrumentation techniques have evolved significantly over decades.
• The pursuit of optimal operative approaches and fixation systems is ongoing.
• Current fixation devices target cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine segments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the diversity of spinal fixation devices and surgical approaches.
• To emphasize the importance of solid bony fusion in preventing instrument failure.
• To underscore the critical role of radiologists in evaluating spinal instrumentation.

Main Methods:

• Review of current spinal instrumentation techniques.
• Description of fixation devices for different spinal segments (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral).
• Discussion of various surgical approaches (anterior, posterior, transverse, videoarthroscopic, combined).

Main Results:

• Instrumentation is employed across all spinal regions using multiple surgical approaches.
• Bone grafting is frequently necessary to achieve solid bony fusion and prevent instrument failure.
• Radiologists require comprehensive knowledge of instrumentation and expected outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Effective spinal fixation relies on achieving solid bony fusion.
• Radiologists must be adept at interpreting imaging of spinal instrumentation.
• Understanding instrumentation options and potential complications is vital for accurate radiological assessment.