The use of nitinol rods for lumbosacral fixation in surgical treatment of degenerative spine disease

Abstract

Objective. To analyze the results of treatment of degenerative spine disease with the use of nitinol rods for lumbosacral fixation as compared with conventional rigid fixation. Material and Methods. The prospective randomized study included 75 patients (34 males, 41 females; mean age 43 years) with degenerative lesion at the L5–S1 level. Surgical treatment was performed with nitinol rods in 35 patients (Group 1), and with standard titanium rods in 40 patients (Group 2). Clinical and radiological results were assessed in 1.5 years after surgery. Results. The VAS leg-and-back, ODI, and SF-36 scores showed improvement in patients of both groups such as a significant reduction in pain intensity and improvement in psychological and physical health. The X-ray examination showed the restoration of the lumbar lordosis in both groups. In Group 1, there was no evidence of screw instability, bone resorption around screws and the adjacent segment disease, and functional radiography demonstrated preservation of mobility (5.0° ± 1.2°). There were seven patients with pseudoarthrosis, and six – with adjacent segment disease in Group 2, surgi- cal intervention was required in four of them. Conclusion. Transpedicular fixation in the lumbosacral spine using nitinol rods is an effective technology allowing for mobility preservation in combination with stable fixation.

Keywords

• degenerative diseases of the spine
• lumbosacral spine