Adequate sacral fixation is a challenging and difficult surgical problem. The sacrum is composed primarily of cancellous bone with only a thin cortical shell. This architecture provides poor purchase for screw fixation. In addition, the unique anatomy of the sacrum limits areas sufficient for optimal screw placement. Our new screw design will provide stronger fixation and a greater pullout strength than the current standard.
Sacral fixation is a significant problem even in the young healthy patient.
This type of fixation is particularly difficult in osteoporotic bone. Many types of instrumentation of the lumbo-sacral spine need sturdy fixation to the sacrum. The number of osteoporotic fractures requiring fixation has steadily increased over the past several years as the population continues to age. Currently, a consistently reliable method of screw fixation in osteoporotic bone is not available.