Feasibility and Accuracy of Pedicle Screws in the Feline Thoracolumbar Spine
🔍 Key Findings
- Pedicle screw placement in feline thoracolumbar vertebrae using patient-specific 3D-printed drill guides was highly accurate, with a mean deviation from planned trajectory of 0.61° ± 0.72.
- Overall pedicle containment rate was 93% (grade 0), with only 5.5% minor breaches (<0.5 mm) and 1.5% moderate breaches (0.5–1 mm).
- Thoracic vertebrae demonstrated perfect safety (48/48 grade 0), whereas all breaches occurred in the lumbar vertebrae (p = 0.02).
- All pedicle breaches were lateral, and no medial breaches or spinal canal violations occurred in the study.
- Accuracy did not differ between breeds (Maine Coon vs mixed-breed) or sides (left vs right), suggesting consistent guide performance across anatomical variations.
- 3D-printed drill guides allowed minimal surgical exposure, requiring access only to the dorsal lamina rather than lateral vertebral surfaces.
- Pedicle screw constructs may facilitate dorsal PMMA application, enabling easier cement placement and bilateral incorporation of screw heads.
- A clinical proof-of-concept case (T12 fracture) treated with pedicle screws and dorsal PMMA stabilization showed accurate implant placement without perioperative complications.
Simini Surgery Review Podcast
🔍 Key Findings
- Pedicle screw placement in feline thoracolumbar vertebrae using patient-specific 3D-printed drill guides was highly accurate, with a mean deviation from planned trajectory of 0.61° ± 0.72.
- Overall pedicle containment rate was 93% (grade 0), with only 5.5% minor breaches (<0.5 mm) and 1.5% moderate breaches (0.5–1 mm).
- Thoracic vertebrae demonstrated perfect safety (48/48 grade 0), whereas all breaches occurred in the lumbar vertebrae (p = 0.02).
- All pedicle breaches were lateral, and no medial breaches or spinal canal violations occurred in the study.
- Accuracy did not differ between breeds (Maine Coon vs mixed-breed) or sides (left vs right), suggesting consistent guide performance across anatomical variations.
- 3D-printed drill guides allowed minimal surgical exposure, requiring access only to the dorsal lamina rather than lateral vertebral surfaces.
- Pedicle screw constructs may facilitate dorsal PMMA application, enabling easier cement placement and bilateral incorporation of screw heads.
- A clinical proof-of-concept case (T12 fracture) treated with pedicle screws and dorsal PMMA stabilization showed accurate implant placement without perioperative complications.
Simini Surgery Review Podcast
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