Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Perform radiographic analysis of the use of Transverse Traction Device (DTT) with respect to fusion rate in patients submitted to vertebral arthrodesis for degenerative lumbar diseases. METHODS: We selected x-ray images on anteroposterior, lateral and oblique views and with maximum flexion and extension dynamics of 23 patients submitted to posterolateral arthrodesis of the lumbar spine with a minimum follow-up period of six months. The images were evaluated and classified by the Linovitz's system by two spine surgeons. RESULTS: We evaluated the radiographs of 23 patients after the minimum postoperative period of 6 months and of these, 11 have used DTT. With regard to the consolidation rate, seven patients (63.6%) in the group of DTT were classified as fusion as well as six patients (50%) who were not submitted to the treatment. There was no statistical difference between the groups regarding the consolidation rate. CONCLUSION: The use of transverse traction device in this study showed no significant difference in the rate of consolidation in radiographic evaluation. Studies on the effective participation of this device in the stability of pedicle fixation systems are still lacking in the literature.
Highlights
The use of pedicle screws as a system of spinal fixation is considered safe and effective in the treatment of diseases of the lumbosacral spine, and they have been widely used in the surgical treatment of various spinal diseases including trauma, tumors, degenerative diseases, and deformities
After the study was approved by the Ethics in Human Research Committee of the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, SP, Brazil, case number 191/11, the radiographs of the spines of patients were evaluated for spinal arthrodesis due to degenerative pathologies that made use of the traction device (TTD)
The intraoperative control for the introduction of pedicle screws was performed by fluoroscopy of the lumbosacral spine, front and profile, and the TTD was used in their respective populations
Summary
The use of pedicle screws as a system of spinal fixation is considered safe and effective in the treatment of diseases of the lumbosacral spine, and they have been widely used in the surgical treatment of various spinal diseases including trauma, tumors, degenerative diseases, and deformities. The emergence of these new fixation systems in the 1980s involved the development of new implants and instruments for the purpose of achieving greater mechanical stability.[1]. Various biomechanical experimental studies have emerged in the literature showing that use of the TTD provides an increase in stability, primarily in the torsional stability requirement in constructions with pedicle screws.[7,8,9,10,11,12]
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