Although fixation with screws is a very common intervention and the technique has been refined in previous decades, insufficient screw hold and screw loosening still pose a relevant clinical problem with an incidence of about 10% in rigid fusion constructs. This rate is increased in motion-preserving instrumentations and in patients with low bone quality such as those with osteoporosis. In a recent study, the risk of screw loosening in vertebrae with low bone quality was found to be over 60%. Revision surgery is required in a significant part of these patients!
New technologies are required that directly address the high complication rate of screw loosening in traumatology and orthopedic surgery. Different approaches could be successful in achieving this aim:
- Computational analysis with the help of numerical models that allow patient-specific assessment of the screw-bone-interface to identify risk patients during preoperative planning.
- Novel screw trajectories such as individually optimized trajectories to improve screw-hold in the vertebral body.
- Innovative and novel implant designs that minimize the risk of loosening due to improved screw-hold.
The goal of this Research Topic is to stimulate leading research groups and to align global "research power“ to work towards answering the unsolved issue of screw loosening.
This Research Topic aims to attract Methods, Original Research, Brief Reports, and Review papers from worldwide specialists in the biomechanics of screw fixation. It will offer a unique collection of knowledge and discussions for the improvement of current techniques or the development of preoperative planning approaches for addressing one of the major complications in traumatology and orthopedic surgery. Experimental studies that have been performed to improve the understanding of the failure behavior during screw loosening are also welcomed.
Although fixation with screws is a very common intervention and the technique has been refined in previous decades, insufficient screw hold and screw loosening still pose a relevant clinical problem with an incidence of about 10% in rigid fusion constructs. This rate is increased in motion-preserving instrumentations and in patients with low bone quality such as those with osteoporosis. In a recent study, the risk of screw loosening in vertebrae with low bone quality was found to be over 60%. Revision surgery is required in a significant part of these patients!
New technologies are required that directly address the high complication rate of screw loosening in traumatology and orthopedic surgery. Different approaches could be successful in achieving this aim:
- Computational analysis with the help of numerical models that allow patient-specific assessment of the screw-bone-interface to identify risk patients during preoperative planning.
- Novel screw trajectories such as individually optimized trajectories to improve screw-hold in the vertebral body.
- Innovative and novel implant designs that minimize the risk of loosening due to improved screw-hold.
The goal of this Research Topic is to stimulate leading research groups and to align global "research power“ to work towards answering the unsolved issue of screw loosening.
This Research Topic aims to attract Methods, Original Research, Brief Reports, and Review papers from worldwide specialists in the biomechanics of screw fixation. It will offer a unique collection of knowledge and discussions for the improvement of current techniques or the development of preoperative planning approaches for addressing one of the major complications in traumatology and orthopedic surgery. Experimental studies that have been performed to improve the understanding of the failure behavior during screw loosening are also welcomed.
