A new mechanical device was developed in order to provide the surgeon with intraoperative information about the mechanical strength of the cancellous bone within the vertebral body. DensiProbe Spine is intended to be used in patients undergoing transpedicular stabilization of the thoracolumbar spine. The objective of the DensiProbe Spine pilot study is to investigate the handling and feasibility of the DensiProbe Spine measurement device.
Osteoporotic fragility fractures often occur in the spine. A common surgical technique is the transpedicular fixation using pedicle screws. A major complication of this treatment is a cut-out or back-out of the screw due to insufficient anchorage of the implant in the vertebral body. A new mechanical device was developed in order to provide the surgeon with intraoperative information about the mechanical strength of the cancellous bone. In cases of low bone quality, the treatment can be adapted to the patient's condition, for example by augmentation of the screw anchorage using bone cement. However, this treatment involves a risk of cement leakage and subsequent pulmonary embolism or nerve damage. Furthermore, cement augmentation is time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need for a diagnostic device that can intraoperatively support the surgeon's decision on the appropriate treatment. DensiProbe Spine was developed accordingly to the clinically approved DensiProbe Hip, which was designed for the same diagnostic reasons in patients with hip fractures undergoing fracture fixation with the dynamic hip screw (DHS). However, the application of bone strength measurements in the spine is in so far different to the hip as the anatomical dimensions in the spine are much smaller and lower values of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength are expected. The objective of this pilot study is to investigate the handling and feasibility of the newly developed DensiProbe Spine measurement device. In case of a positive result of the pilot study, a multicenter cohort study will be performed in order to clinically validate the DensiProbe Spine device by assessing the correlation between DensiProbe Spine measurements and the amounts of pedicle screw migration in patients undergoing transpedicular fixation.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
30
Intraoperative DensiProbe Spine measurements
Klinik Sonnenhof
Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
Inselspital
Bern, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
Surgeon's compliance- and handling-oriented questionnaire
The general satisfaction of the surgeon with DensiProbe Spine as well as specific problems that are likely to occur during the measurement with DensiProbe Spine will be assessed
Time frame: Baseline
Intra- and post-operative adverse events
All intra- and postoperative adverse events will be assessed and analyzed regarding their relationship to the study device
Time frame: Up to 2 months postsurgery
Bone mineral density
The bone mineral density will be measured preoperatively in the lumbar spine (L1-L4) using DXA in order to assess local bone status.
Time frame: Baseline
Pedicle screw migration
The migration of the pedicle screw will be performed by measuring the angle between the pedicle screw axis and the caudal endplate. The amount of screw migration is defined as the difference in that angle between the baseline (postoperative) and the two month lateral x-rays
Time frame: 2 months postsurgery
QCT analysis of bone biopsies
For each vertebral body under investigation a probe of trabecular bone is obtained to determine bone quality using quantitative micro-CT analysis
Time frame: Baseline
Application of bone cement
For each patient the surgeon decides whether or not augmentation with bone cement is necessary
Time frame: Baseline
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