Cervical pedicle screw guiding jig, an innovative solution

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Medical Engineering

Background:

• Pedicle screw fixation is common in spinal instrumentation but technically demanding in the cervical spine.
• Cervical pedicle screw placement carries a high risk of neurovascular damage due to anatomical complexity.
• Existing methods may lack the precision required for safe and effective cervical fixation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of patient-specific 3D-printed jigs for accurate pedicle screw placement in cervical spine surgery.
• To assess the safety and cost-effectiveness of using virtual planning and 3D printing for spinal instrumentation.
• To introduce a novel, reproducible technique for complex cervical spine fixation.

Main Methods:

• Virtual planning using DICOM images from CT scans (1 mm cuts) on MIMICS and 3 MATICS software.
• Creation and 3D printing of patient-specific jigs for guiding pedicle screw trajectory.
• Intraoperative application of sterilized jigs for pedicle screw insertion in a patient with C7-D1 bifacetal dislocation (flexion-distraction injury type 3).

Main Results:

• The developed technique enabled accurate placement of pedicle screws in the cervical spine.
• The use of patient-specific jigs facilitated precise surgical navigation.
• The procedure was characterized as low-cost, high-technology, simple, accurate, and cost-effective.

Conclusions:

• Patient-specific jigs created via virtual planning and 3D printing offer a precise and safe method for cervical pedicle screw fixation.
• This innovative approach simplifies a technically demanding procedure, reducing the risk of neurovascular injury.
• The technology is easily transferable and adoptable, presenting a significant advancement in spinal instrumentation.