Lumbosacral stabilization using iliac wings a new surgical technique

Abstract

Study Design. Case reports. Objective. A novel spinopelvic instrumentation system is introduced. Summary of Background Data. Spinopelvic stabilization is a problematic area of the spine. A mobile segment (spine) is fixed onto a stabile construction (pelvis). Another problem is the spinal anatomy because L5 vertebrae are affected by shear forces due to lomber lordosis so that stabilization needs extra power and 360 degrees fusion of L5-S1 level. Long instrumentation is preferred to decrease the stress on the screws and the rods. We designed iliac plates to support lumbopelvic instrumentation laterally. Four cases of spinopelvic pathology were treated in this way manner. The short-term results are good. Methods. Four adult cases that had spinopelvic instability were treated with a novel spinopelvic instrument. All cases were evaluated with visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry and radiologic studies pre- and postsurgery at 6 and 12 months. Results. All the patients benefited from the stabilization. Preoperative mean VAS scores of all patients decreased from 7.75 to 1.75 and preoperative Oswestry disability index scores decreased from 83.50 to 24.50 at the 12 months postoperative evaluation. Conclusion. In this study, we define four cases and report that iliac wings can be used to augment stabilization. We review the literature and discuss our knowledge and experiences in these cases.