Fon-Yih Tsuang1, Chia-Hsien Chen2, Lien-Chen Wu2, Yi-Jie Kuo3, Shang-Chih Lin4, Chang-Jung Chiang5. 1. Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taiwan. 2. Department of Orthopaedics, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan. 3. Department of Orthopaedics, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taiwan; Department of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan. 4. Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. 5. Department of Orthopaedics, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan; Department of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan. Electronic address: cjchiang@s.tmu.edu.tw.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Failure of pedicle screw is a major concern in spinal surgery. The threaded and unthreaded portions of the pedicle screw provide the ability to anchor and squeeze the surrounding bone, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the anchoring and squeezing effects of different design of the threaded/unthreaded portions of a pedicle screw to vertebrae. METHODS: Four variations (one fully and three partially threaded, with a 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 unthreaded designs at the proximal portion) of screws were used to measure pullout strength and withdrawn energy using synthetic and porcine specimens. The tests were conducted in static and dynamic fashions, in that the screws were axially extracted directly and after 150,000cycles of lateral bending. The load-displacement curves were recorded to gain insight into the peak load (pullout strength) and cumulative work (withdrawn energy). FINDINGS: The two testing results of the synthetic and porcine specimens consistently showed that the 1/3 unthreaded screw provides significantly higher pullout strength and withdrawn energy than the fully threaded screw. The withdrawn energy of the three unthreaded screws was significantly higher than that of the threaded counterpart. INTERPRETATION: The holding power of a pedicle screw was the integration of the anchoring (cancellous core) and squeezing (compact pedicle) effects within the threaded and unthreaded portions. The current study recommends the 1/3 unthreaded screw as an optimal alternative for use as a shank-sliding mechanism to preserve the holding power within the pedicle isthmus.
BACKGROUND: Failure of pedicle screw is a major concern in spinal surgery. The threaded and unthreaded portions of the pedicle screw provide the ability to anchor and squeeze the surrounding bone, respectively. This study aimed to investigate the anchoring and squeezing effects of different design of the threaded/unthreaded portions of a pedicle screw to vertebrae. METHODS: Four variations (one fully and three partially threaded, with a 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 unthreaded designs at the proximal portion) of screws were used to measure pullout strength and withdrawn energy using synthetic and porcine specimens. The tests were conducted in static and dynamic fashions, in that the screws were axially extracted directly and after 150,000cycles of lateral bending. The load-displacement curves were recorded to gain insight into the peak load (pullout strength) and cumulative work (withdrawn energy). FINDINGS: The two testing results of the synthetic and porcine specimens consistently showed that the 1/3 unthreaded screw provides significantly higher pullout strength and withdrawn energy than the fully threaded screw. The withdrawn energy of the three unthreaded screws was significantly higher than that of the threaded counterpart. INTERPRETATION: The holding power of a pedicle screw was the integration of the anchoring (cancellous core) and squeezing (compact pedicle) effects within the threaded and unthreaded portions. The current study recommends the 1/3 unthreaded screw as an optimal alternative for use as a shank-sliding mechanism to preserve the holding power within the pedicle isthmus.