Iliosacral screwing under navigation control: Technical note.

ABSTRACT

Percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation is an essential osteosynthesis technique for pelvic fractures and requires precise imaging tools to assist correct screw placement. 3D imaging coupled to navigation has significantly improved this technique. Several possibilities exist, depending on the instrument set used, with varying degrees of difficulty and very variable risk of error. The techniques traditionally described use a guide to navigate a drill bit, where a one-degree difference in trajectory can alter screw tip placement by several millimeters. The present article proposes a standardization of the procedure by using navigated pedicular screw instruments that have the advantage of navigating the instrument itself and not a projection. In a series of 90 screws implanted in 62 patients using this technique, only one path had to be repeated in the light of intraoperative control. No improperly positioned screws were found on postoperative control.