Randomized clinical study to compare the accuracy of navigated and non-navigated thoracic pedicle screws in deformity correction surgeries.
METHODS
Randomized clinical trial (level I evidence).


OBJECTIVE
To compare the accuracy of non-navigation and Iso-C based navigation in pedicle screw fixation in thoracic spine deformities.


BACKGROUND
Thoracic pedicle screw insertion for spinal deformity correction can be associated with increased pedicle breaches. Iso-C based navigation has been reported to improve the accuracy of pedicle screw placement, but its use in the presence of deformity has not been reported.


METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with scoliosis and 6 patients with kyphosis had a total of 478 thoracic pedicle screws. The average Cobb angle was 58.4 degrees +/- 8 degrees (range 50 degrees -80 degrees), and the mean kyphotic angle was 54.6 degrees +/- 4 degrees (range 51 degrees -76 degrees). By random allocation, 17 patients had screw insertion under navigation (242 screws) and 16 under fluoroscopic control (236 screws). The 2 groups were compared for accuracy of screw placement, time for screw insertion, and the number of times the C-arm had to be brought into the field. Two independent blinded observers determined accuracy using postoperative computed tomography assessments.


RESULTS
There were 54 (23%) pedicle breaches in the non-navigation group as compared to only 5 (2%) in the navigation group (P < 0.001). Thirty-eight screws (16%) in the non-navigation group had penetrated the anterior or lateral cortex compared to 2 screws (0.8%) in the navigation group. Average screw insertion time in the non-navigation group was 4.61 +/- 1.05 minutes (range 1.8-6.5) compared to 2.37 +/- 0.72 minutes (range 1.16-4.5) in navigation group (P < 0.01). The C-arm had to be moved into the operation field on an average of 1.5 +/- 0.25 times (range 1-3) per screw. With single screening data, an average of 11.4 pedicles (range 9-14) could be visualized without necessity to bring the C-arm into operating field again.


CONCLUSIONS
Iso-C navigation increases accuracy, and reduces surgical time and radiation in thoracic deformity correction surgeries.
Rajasekaran
S
S
Department of Orthopaedics and Spine Surgery, Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. sr@gangahospital.com
Vidyadhara
S
S
Ramesh
Perumal
P
Shetty
Ajoy P
AP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001863:Bone Screws; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007738:Kyphosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors