The human sacrum and safe approaches for screw placement

The human sacrum is the target of lumbosacral instrumentation and decompression procedures. Such surgical interventions require detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the human sacrum. The aim of this study was to measure surgically relevant parameters. Several factors, including the one-piece composition of the sacrum, the angles of the sacral pedicles and the anteroposterior diameter of the sacral vertebral bodies distinguish the sacrum from other parts of spine. Thirty-two measurements of shape, angles and distances between parts were taken of the sacra of 100 adult West Anatolian people using a Vernier caliper accurate to 0.1 mm and goniometer. According to this morphometric study, when measured from the sagittal, the S1 facet angle was measured as 35.71 degrees +/-9.59 and 34.70 degrees +/-9.66, the sacral pedicle anteromedial screw trajectory angle was 35.65 degrees +/-4.73 and 31.95 degrees +/-3.95 and the anterolaterally oriented sacral wing screw trajectory angle was 32.65 degrees +/-3.51 and 29.10 degrees +/-3.14, on the right and left sides, respectively. The distance of the midline oriented S1 pedicle screw was 51.12 mm and 51.26 mm on the right and left side, respectively. The distance for sacral wing oriented screw placement was 50.13 mm and 50.46 mm on the right and left side, respectively. The anteroposterior and transverse diameter of the sacral spinal canal were 21.81 mm and 31.31 mm, respectively. Thus, this study describes anatomical specifications of the sacrum. These defined morphometric details should be taken into consideration during surgical procedures. This study also describes anatomical landmarks which will allow injury of the sacrum during surgery to be avoided.