The cause of 2S Diapason screw breakage after internal lumbar fixation: studies of the mechanical and material properties of the implant.
In the years 1994-99, unstable fractures of the lumbar spine were surgically treated with interbody fixation in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Nicholas Copernicus Voivodeship Specialized Hospital in Łódź, using stabilizers manufactured by various companies. Complications in the form of stabilizer breakage were observed in 1 case out of 22. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the reason why the Stryker 2S Diapason screws broke. Tests performed to measure the material and mechanical properties of the implant did not show any signs of material fatigue, nor were any material defects discovered. However, a scanning microscope investigation confirmed the hypothesis that the material had crumbled due to overload. This discovery led to the decision that screws would be mounted in the bodies of the vertebrae in a manner decreasing implant load.
Oddział Neurochirurgii, Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny im. M. Kopernika, Łódź
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Kolasa
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Grabarczyk
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Depczyk