European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Multicenter Study
Major complications in extreme lateral interbody fusion access: multicentric study by Italian S.O.L.A.S. group.
The eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF) approach has gained increasing importance in the last decade. This multicentric retrospective cohort study aims to assess the incidence of major complications in XLIF procedures performed by experienced surgeons and any relationship between the years of experience in XLIF procedures and the surgeon's rate of severe complications. ⋯ XLIF revealed a safe and reliable surgical procedure, with a very low rate of major complications, when performed by an expert spine surgeon.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
PLIF surgery with titanium-coated PEEK or uncoated PEEK cages: a prospective randomised clinical and radiological study.
This study aimed to compare clinical results and fusion rates of uncoated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages with titanium-coated PEEK cages in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery. ⋯ PEEK and titanium-coated PEEK cages for PLIF produce equally favourable clinical and radiological results up to 24 months post-surgery. The fusion rate was not different.
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The authors recently proposed the novel radiologic assessment method to measure chronological screw position changes precisely. The aim of this study was to predict the late occurrence of screw loosening, which was diagnosed by the radiographic lucent zone, by evaluating screw position changes at an early postoperative stage using the novel method. ⋯ We calculated a cutoff value of the screw position changes at an early postoperative stage for the prediction of subsequent development of screw loosening with the radiographic lucent zone.
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Inadequate anchoring of pedicle screws in vertebrae with poor bone quality is a major problem in spine surgery. The aim was to evaluate whether a modified thread in the area of the pedicle could significantly improve the pedicle screw fatigue strength. ⋯ Compared to a conventional pedicle screw, the use of a cortical threaded pedicle screw promises superior fatigue load in vertebrae with reduced bone quality.
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To study radiological and clinical differences between robotic-assisted pedicle screw fixation with and without real-time optical tracking. ⋯ Optical tracking in robotic system appears to increase accuracy because of the ability to detect the real-time position of the patient. Although there are still many problems to be solved, robot with optical tracking system shows its great potential in clinical application.