Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
Three-dimensional Navigation-guided, Prone, Single-position, Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion Technique
Published on: July 15, 2021
Three-dimensional navigation is more accurate than two-dimensional navigation or conventional fluoroscopy for
Amir Matityahu1, David Kahler, Christian Krettek
1*Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Trauma Institute, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA; †Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA; ‡Orthopaedic Trauma Department, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; §Department of Trauma and Restorative Surgery, BGU Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; ‖Clinic of Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, BG Clinic Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany; ¶Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; **AO Clinical Investigation and Documentation, Dübendorf, Switzerland; and ††Clinic for Trauma Surgery, Hand Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Objectives:
To evaluate the accuracy of computer-assisted sacral screw fixation compared with conventional techniques in the dysmorphic versus normal sacrum.
Design:
Review of a previous study database.
Setting:
Database of a multinational study with 9 participating trauma centers.
Patients:
The reviewed group included 130 patients, 72 from the navigated group and 58 from the conventional group. Of these, 109 were in the nondysmorphic group and 21 in the dysmorphic group.
Intervention:
Placement of sacroiliac (SI) screws was performed using standard fluoroscopy for the conventional group and BrainLAB navigation software with either 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional (3D) navigation for the navigated group.
Main Outcome Measurements:
Accuracy of SI screw placement by 2-dimensional and 3D navigation versus conventional fluoroscopy in dysmorphic and nondysmorphic patients, as evaluated by 6 observers using postoperative computerized tomography imaging at least 1 year after initial surgery. Intraobserver agreement was also evaluated.
Results:
There were 11.9% (13/109) of patients with misplaced screws in the nondysmorphic group and 28.6% (6/21) of patients with misplaced screws in the dysmorphic group, none of which were in the 3D navigation group. Raw agreement between the 6 observers regarding misplaced screws was 32%. However, the percent overall agreement was 69.0% (kappa = 0.38, P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
The use of 3D navigation to improve intraoperative imaging for accurate insertion of SI screws is magnified in the dysmorphic proximal sacral segment. We recommend the use of 3D navigation, where available, for insertion of SI screws in patients with normal and dysmorphic proximal sacral segments.
Level Of Evidence:
Therapeutic level I.
