Background and objective: For patients with osteoporosis, the Cortical Bone Trajectory (CBT) technique offers an alternative method of lumbar spine fixation. Placement of CBT screws with more accuracy could increase mechanical stability and decrease complication rates.
Methods: To evaluate the cortical screw's accuracy, 4 lumbar specimens with T12-S1 were employed. By combining the vertebrae and screws from the preoperative and postoperative CT scans, the SPC-guided planned screws were compared to the actual inserted screws. The SPC guide was placed in the proper position in accordance with preoperative preparation to enable K-wire drilling along the intended path. According to Gertzbein and Robbins categorization, the screw accuracy was assessed using pre- and post-operative 3D-CT reconstructions. To assess SPC-guided agreements for CBT screw placement, Bland-Altman plots and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs) were used.
Conclusions: The SPC guide was able to put cortical screws with more accuracy than preoperative planning screws and screws that were actually implanted.
