title: Instrumentation of the posterior thoracolumbar spine: from wires to pedicle screws.
abstract: Over the past 120 years, spinal stabilization has advanced immensely. An updated review highlighting these advancements has not been performed in the past 20 years. The objective of this report is to provide a historical assessment of the decades outlining various key innovators, their techniques, and instrumentation. It is important to provide new generations of surgeons and students with historical evidence of the value of developing new techniques and instrumentation to improve patient care and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: *Spinal Biomechanics Laboratory, and ‡Division of Neurological Surgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona.
authors.forename: Devika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalb
authors.forename: Nestor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Martinez
authors.forename: Derek D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Hem
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perez-Orribo
authors.forename: Neil R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Volker K H
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Sonntag
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators / Q000266:history*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000266:history* / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000266:history* / Q000295:instrumentation; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*