A Prospective Study on the Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of a Modified Technique to Augment the Strength of Pedicle Screw in Osteoporotic Spine Fixation

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case study. PURPOSE: Osteoporotic spine fixation by pedicle screw instrumentation is complicated by screw loosening, migration, or pullout with rates of up to 62% documented in the literature. Contemporary solutions have not adequately addressed these complications. We propose a modified surgical technique of cement augmentation with bicortical pedicle screw fixation to address the issue related to implant failure in osteoporotic spine. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Zindrick and his colleagues described a “windshield wiper” effect owing to the shift of center of rotation to the distal tip of the screw in the bicortical purchase of screws. An increase in pullout strength from 119% to 250% with polymethyl methacrylate augmentation has been documented in the literature. This technique has not been described in the literature. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted with 40 patients who underwent surgery by the modified technique. Intraoperative and postoperative complications directly related to the procedure were assessed. Improvement in pain and functional status were assessed. Follow-up radiographs were assessed to check for appreciable screw migration, loosening, or pullout. RESULTS: This technique was used in inserting 364 screws in 40 patients. We did not encounter any difficulty in inserting the screws. A total of 19 screws failed to breach the anterior cortex owing to an error in measurement. There were no complications during the procedure in any of the patients, and the postoperative period was uneventful. The mean follow-up period was 18 months. There were two patients in whom proximal junctional failure with kyphosis was noted during follow-up, who were surgically managed by extension of the fixation levels. CONCLUSIONS: Bicortical fixation with cement augmentation is a technically feasible, safe, and effective technique to augment the strength of pedicle screws in osteoporotic spine fixation. It has the potential to be established as a standard of care in osteoporotic spine fixation.