TITLE:
Crossed Intralaminar Screws for Fusion of the Cervicothoracic Junction and the Thoracic Spine: The Experience in an Iberic Service with Case Series and Review of the Current Literature with Technique Description
AUTHORS:
Marcel Sincari, Margarida Conceição
KEYWORDS:
Crossed Intralaminar, Spinolaminar Angle, Thoracic, Imaging, Lamina Screws, Spinal Fusion/Instrumentation/Methods, Thoracic Vertebrae
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
23,
2023
ABSTRACT: The treatment of pathologies in the thoracic spine
is a challenge. The periodic failure of pedicle screw insertion and anatomical
variations make the search for an alternative to pedicle screws in thoracic
spine surgery necessary. The interlaminar crossed screws is a well-known and
secure method for fusion in cervical spine, and in thoracic spine there used to
be insufficient clinical data to support this technique, until now. We
demonstrate in an initial series of 10 cases treated with interlaminar fusion
in association of other fusion techniques in the thoracic spine with good
results. Objective:
Intralaminar screws have been shown to be a
biomechanical salvage technique in the thoracic spine, especially in long cervicothoracic, thoracic and thoracolumbar
fixation. The goals of this article are to demonstrate our initial experience
and the range of indications for thoracic crossed intralaminar screws. Methods: In this article
we describe our initial series performed at São Teotónio
Hospital in Viseu, Portugal, and our results, and also provide a comprehensive
review of the recent literature in the use of intralaminar crossed fixation.