Pedicle Screws
How Pedicle Screws Are Used in Spine Surgery
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Bone screws have been used in spinal instrumentation since the 1960s. A pedicle screw is a particular type of bone screw designed for implantation into a vertebral pedicle. |
What is the vertebral pedicle? |
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Polyaxial Pedicle Screws |
Purpose
These screws are used to correct deformity, and/or treat trauma. Similar to other bone screws, pedicle screws may be used in instrumentation procedures to affix rods and plates to the spine. The screws may also be used to immobilize part of the spine to assist fusion by holding bony structures together.
Placement
Although pedicle screws are most often used in the lumbar (lumbosacral) spine, they can be implanted in the thoracic and sacral vertebra. The surgeon uses fluoroscopy or conventional x-ray to determine the depth and angle for screw placement. A receiving channel is drilled and the screw is inserted.