Authors: Edward Bayley Zergham Zia Robert Kerslake Bronek M Boszczyk
Publish Date: 2009/09/01
Volume: 19, Issue: 3, Pages: 458-463
Abstract
Pedicle screws in the subaxial spine are infrequently used because of concerns over their safety and difficulty in placement despite their superior pullout strength In the subaxial cervical vertebrae we have observed that the lamina appears to project at right angles to the ipsilateral pedicle axis The aim of this investigation was to confirm the lamina orientation as a reliable landmark for pedicle screw placement 80 digital cervical spine CT were analysed The angle formed by the ipsilateral outer lamina cortex to the pedicle axis was recorded A total of 398 vertebrae were analysed from patients with a mean age of 395 years range 18–78 Average axial lamina–pedicle angle ranged from 966° at C3 to 872° at C7 in males and from 956° to 875° in females The angle formed by the posterior cortex of the lamina and the ipsilateral pedicle shows a high level of consistency for subaxial cervical vertebrae ranging from 96° at C3 to 87° at C7 Although the angle is not exactly 90° at all levels as hypothesised the orientation of the lamina nevertheless forms a useful reference plane for insertion of pedicle screws in the subaxial cervical spine
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