Specifying the Entry Point for a Transiliac-Transsacral Screw in Posterior Pelvic Ring Fixation

To stabilize posterior pelvic ring injuries with a transiliac-transsacral (TITS) screw percutaneously, it is crucial to determine the adequate entry point as an initial procedure. Here, we propose a universal method for specifying the entry point for the TITS screw under fluoroscopic guidance.

Through analyzing 239 pelvic computed tomography (CT) images retrospectively, we determined the entry point for the TITS screw at the midpoint between the anterosuperior and posteroinferior corners of the respective vertebra in the strict mid-sagittal CT plane. Virtual surgical procedures were performed to verify the feasibility of using the midpoint as the entry point and to evaluate the accuracy of screw placement. Clinical surgical procedures with our proposed method of determining the entry point on the lateral fluoroscopic view were performed to validate the safety and accuracy of screw placement. Then, the efficacy of this method was evaluated compared to the previously applied method.

In the virtual surgical procedures, a total of 148 S1 TITS screws were securely placed in all pelvises with normal sacra, while 239 S2 TITS screws were securely placed in all pelvises regardless of dysmorphism. In clinical surgical procedures, 27 S1 screws and 15 S2 screws were securely placed in 41 pelvises, with 39 screws (92.9%) classified as grade 1 and 3 screws (7.1%) classified as grade 2. The rate of excellent or good functional outcomes was 100%. Compared to the previous method, our proposed method revealed superior efficacy regarding surgical duration (p < 0.001), fluoroscopic shots (p < 0.001), and guidewire attempts (p < 0.001).

On the lateral fluoroscopic view, the midpoint between the anterosuperior and posteroinferior corners of the respective vertebra can consistently serve as the entry point for the TITS screw, applicable to S1 and S2 screws in a normal sacrum, as well as to the S2 screw in a dysmorphic sacrum.