Operative Details: MAST Fusion for Osteomyelitis

Operative Details

The patient was brought to the operating room and general anaesthesia was administered. After administration of intravenous antibiotic, the patient was placed into the prone position on the Jackson operating table. A digital fluoroscope was draped into the surgical field. A 2 cm incision was then made over the pedicle of L4 on the right. Using AP and lateral films, the left L4 pedicle was then cannulated using and 11G bone biopsy needle (see below, Figure 3):

Under fluoroscopic guidance, guide wires were then placed into both the L2 and L4 vertebral bodies (see below, Figure 4):

The L4 pedicle was then tapped and a 7.5 mm x 45 mm Sextant® (Medtronic-Sofamor Danek, Memphis, TN) screw was then placed. A 6.5 mm x 50 mm screw was then placed in the L2 pedicle (see below, Figures 5a, 5b):

A rod was then passed through the heads of both screws using the Sextant® apparatus (see below, Figures 6a, 6b):

The heads were secured and a similar procedure was performed on the left. The final construct is shown below (Figures 7a, 7b):

The entire procedure was performed through 6 incisions 2 cm in length each (see below, Figure 8):