title: [Treatment of low lumbar degenerative disease with unilateral pedicle screw combined with contralateral percutaneous transfacet screws fixation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the operative skills and effect of unilateral pedicle screw combined with contralateral percutaneous transfacet screws fixation in treating degenerative low lumbar disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2009 to December 2011,22 patients with degenerative low lumbar disease were treated with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, during the operations, unilateral pedicle screw and contralateral percutaneous transfacet screw fixation were performed. There were 16 males and 6 females, aged from 32 to 71 years old with an average of (51.1 ± 10.6) years, including single segment in 20 cases and two segments in 2 cases. Clinical effects were evaluated according to visual analogue score (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up from 1 to 2.5 years with an average of 18 months. One case complicated with leakage of cerebrospinal fluid after operation and 1 case with lower limb pain of decompression-side on the 3rd day after operation. Twenty-two patients got bony fusion. There were no instability and evidence of instrument failure during follow-up. The VAS and ODI score decreased from preoperative 8.24 ± 0.72, 36.72 ± 6.84 respectively to 3.18 ± 0.66, 4.36 ± 1.12 at the final follow-up (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unilateral pedicle screw combined with contralateral percutaneous transfacet screw fixation is safe and feasible surgical technique in treating low lumbar degenerative disease. It has advantages of little trauma, rigid fixation, high fusion rate, and less complication. etc.
authors.forename: Rong-Xue
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hua-Zi
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yong-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065289:Pedicle Screws; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*