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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Neurology and Neurosurgery
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1434251

Comparative Biomechanical Analysis of Monocortical and Bicortical Polyaxial Screw Rod Fixation in Canine Lumbar Vertebral Stabilization

Provisionally accepted
Julien J Guevar Julien J Guevar 1*Benjamin Voumard Benjamin Voumard 2Robert L Bergman Robert L Bergman 3Christina M Precht Christina M Precht 4Franck Forterre Franck Forterre 1*
  • 1 Division of small animal surgery, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Bern, Switzerland
  • 2 ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Bern, Switzerland
  • 3 Synapse Veterinary Neurology, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
  • 4 Division of small animal radiology, Vetsuisse faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective To evaluate the biomechanical properties of polyaxial screws-rod fixation (PSR) for stabilizing a one-segment vertebral motion unit (VMU) fracture model, comparing different stabilization techniques (monocortical and bicortical). Methods Twelve thoracolumbar vertebral column specimens were collected from canine cadavers. The specimens were divided into two groups: a monocortical group and a bicortical group. Flexion/extension and lateral bending motions were tested. Range of motion (ROM), neutral zone (NZ) and stiffness of a single lumbar vertebral motion unit were measured in intact specimens and a fracture model with unilateral and bilateral stabilizations for each group. Results For the 3-column fracture model: in flexion/extension, no PSR construct was able to restore the ROM of an intact spine. In lateral bending, PSR needed to be bilateral to restore the ROM of the intact spine. PSR failure occurred in four spines when monocortical and unilateral. Conclusions Even bilateral PSR could not fully restore the intact spine's ROM in fracture models, suggesting the need for further research to optimize stabilization techniques. Clinical relevance Stabilization of a single 3-column lumbar fracture model VMU cannot be achieved with PSR in dogs.

    Keywords: Lumbar spine stabilization, Polyaxial screws, Canine neurosurgery, Biomechanical evaluation, Veterinary orthopedics

    Received: 17 May 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Guevar, Voumard, Bergman, Precht and Forterre. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Julien J Guevar, Division of small animal surgery, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
    Franck Forterre, Division of small animal surgery, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.