STUDY DESIGN: The advantage to fixation strength of triangulated, double-screw fixation compared with that of single-screw instrumentation in anterior spine surgery was evaluated by in vitro testing. OBJECTIVES: To compare the fixation strength of single-screw instrumentation with ventral derotation spondylodesis screws with the fixation strength of triangulated, double-screw instrumentation with Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws. Resistance against pull-out load and against load perpendicular to the axis of the screws was evaluated. To avoid the bias caused by different screw design, the pull-out strength of single screws of both devices was compared first. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: To the authors' knowledge, no study comparing anterior single with triangulated screws has been published. METHODS: A pull-out test was performed when one vertebra in each spine specimen was instrumented with a ventral derotation spondylodesis screw, one with an isolated Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws, and one with two triangulated, Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws linked by a Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf block. Load perpendicular to the axis of the screw was applied on the bone-device interface after instrumentation of further specimens with ventral derotation spondylodesis and triangulated, Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf devices. RESULTS: Use of isolated Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws compared with ventral derotation spondylodesis screws showed no significant differences in pull-out strength. The use of triangulated, double-screw fixation with Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws led to a significant 79% increase in resistance against pull-out and a 73% increase in resistance against load perpendicular to the screw axis compared with the resistance produced using ventral derotation spondylodesis single-screw instrumentation. CONCLUSION: In anterior surgery, fixation of the vertebra-device interface can be improved considerably by application of two triangulated screws.
STUDY DESIGN: The advantage to fixation strength of triangulated, double-screw fixation compared with that of single-screw instrumentation in anterior spine surgery was evaluated by in vitro testing. OBJECTIVES: To compare the fixation strength of single-screw instrumentation with ventral derotation spondylodesis screws with the fixation strength of triangulated, double-screw instrumentation with Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws. Resistance against pull-out load and against load perpendicular to the axis of the screws was evaluated. To avoid the bias caused by different screw design, the pull-out strength of single screws of both devices was compared first. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: To the authors' knowledge, no study comparing anterior single with triangulated screws has been published. METHODS: A pull-out test was performed when one vertebra in each spine specimen was instrumented with a ventral derotation spondylodesis screw, one with an isolated Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws, and one with two triangulated, Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws linked by a Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf block. Load perpendicular to the axis of the screw was applied on the bone-device interface after instrumentation of further specimens with ventral derotation spondylodesis and triangulated, Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf devices. RESULTS: Use of isolated Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws compared with ventral derotation spondylodesis screws showed no significant differences in pull-out strength. The use of triangulated, double-screw fixation with Cotrel-Dubousset-Hopf screws led to a significant 79% increase in resistance against pull-out and a 73% increase in resistance against load perpendicular to the screw axis compared with the resistance produced using ventral derotation spondylodesis single-screw instrumentation. CONCLUSION: In anterior surgery, fixation of the vertebra-device interface can be improved considerably by application of two triangulated screws.
Authors: Antonius Rohlmann; Michael Richter; Thomas Zander; Constantin Klöckner; Georg Bergmann Journal: Eur Spine J Date: 2005-05-24 Impact factor: 3.134