ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate our self-designed guide used clinically in percutaneous placement of lumbosacral pedicle screws in surgery of lumbar vertebral fractures.Methods From May 2012 to March 2015,143 patients with lumbar vertebral fracture were treated with reduction and fixation using percutaneous lumbosacral pedicle screws in our department.Percutaneous placement of lumbosacral pedicle screws was assisted by our self-designed guide in 69 of them(guide group) but not in the other 74 cases (manual group).The 2 groups were compatible in preoperative general data (P ＞ 0.05).The 2 groups were compared in terms of localization time for a single screw,puncture accuracy,times of intraoperative fluoroscopy,operation time,intraoperative blood loss,and hospital stay.Results The guide group had significantly better localization time for a single screw,puncture accuracy,times of fluoroscopy and operation time than the manual group (P ＜ 0.05),but the 2 groups showed no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay (P ＞ 0.05).The guide group obtained an average follow-up of 12.9 months (from 12 to 16 months) while the manual group obtained an average follow-up of 13.2 months (from 12 to 18 months).All fractures healed primarily,without complications like injuries to nerve root or dural sac.Conclusion Our self-designed guide is recommendable because it can obviously improve accuracy of placement of lumbosacral pedicle screws,shorten operation time,and decrease times of intraoperative fluoroscopy.