Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 28, 2025
C-arm-Free Simultaneous OLIF51 and Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation in a Single Lateral Position
Published on: September 16, 2022
Minimally invasive percutaneous anterior odontoid screw fixation: institutional experience with a simple and
Giuseppe E Umana1, Massimiliano Visocchi2, Gianluca Scalia3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Trauma Center, Gamma Knife Center, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy - umana.nch@gmail.com.
Background:
The aim of this paper was to show a novel modified technique to perform minimally invasive anterior odontoid screw fixation.
Methods:
Twenty-nine patients with a mean age of 45 years were treated with a modified percutaneous anterior odontoid screw fixation. All patients were affected by type II or rostral shallow type III odontoid fractures. A modified guide tube was used in all these patients, with reduction of soft tissue dissection for percutaneous approach.
Results:
There were no complications related to the modified technique. Good results and optimal screw placement were achieved in 28 out of 29 patients. Only in 1 patient we observed, after mobilization, screw displacement, probably due to severe osteoporosis.
Conclusions:
In our opinion, this modified percutaneous minimally invasive technique for anterior odontoid screw fixation, along with the use of a soft tissue dilator not fixed to the spine, has not yet been reported in literature and is strongly recommended to reduce invasiveness of odontoid screw placement.
