Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Dec 2017
Meta AnalysisAccuracy of a patient-specific template for pedicle screw placement compared with a conventional method: a meta-analysis.
Accurate placement of pedicle screws in spine surgery is a challenge for surgeons. Patient-specific template techniques have the potential for improving the accuracy of screw placement. The target of this analysis was to investigate differences in terms of accuracy of pedicle screw insertion between patient-specific template assistance and the conventional free-hand method for reconstruction of spinal stability. ⋯ The template-assisted technique is superior to the conventional method for the reduction of pedicle violation. The template-assisted technique is a promising technique that should be considered as another available navigation tool for surgeons to improve the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. As an available technique for emerging applications in spine surgeries, this technique will face challenges but ultimately prove successfully.