Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Restoring the stability of the spine has become the consensus of spinal surgery. The canaloplasty technology has been continuously improved, but how can we get the good clinical effect of the canaloplasty, and the price affordable, many domestic scholars have to try all kinds of the improved operation methods.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical application value of cannulated screws fixation in canaloplasty.
METHODS: From February 2011 to February 2013, totally 24 patients with spinal disease treated by canaloplasty using cannulated screw were retrospectively analyzed, of which 12 cases of cervical stenosis, 2 cases of intraspinal tumor in thoracic and 10 cases of intraspinal tumor in lumbar. All patients were followed up after treatment. Postoperative CT and MRI were done in all patients. Clinical symptoms and radiographic changes were observed after treatment. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and the spinal canal cross-sectional area measurement were conducted in the patients with cervical stenosis between the preoperation and postoperation. Visual analog scale score was evaluated in patients who have the tumor in the thoracolumbar spine between the preoperation and postoperation.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: All patients had no complications such as nerve or blood vessel damage. All patients were followed up 12 to 24 months. Imaging evaluation showed that internal fixator was stable without the hollow screw loss or displacement. The bone grafting in groove reached bone fusion. There was no occurrence of lamina collapse or “re-close of door”. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and spinal canal cross-sectional area of patients with cervical stenosis during the follow-up after 12 months of treatment
were significantly superior to those in preoperation (P < 0.01). After 12 months of treatment, Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores showed that the excellent rate of classification assessment was 92%. During the follow-up after 12 months of treatment, the visual analog scale of patients with thoracolumbar tumor improved from (8.2±1.6) points before treatment to (2.3±1.3) points at the first year after discharge (P=0.004 2). These results suggest that the application of cannulated screws in the canaloplasty can not only enhance the stability of the rear pillar, and can improve the healing rate of osteotomy, and has the characteristics of inexpensive, easy to operate, and repair effect is good.