Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Localized Expansion Of Pedicle Screws For Increased Stability And Safety In The Osteoporotic Spine, Thomas Michael Shea

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When a patient is diagnosed with various spinal injuries, deformities, or advanced degeneration, it is commonly suggested that he/she undergoes surgery for spinal fusion. Most current procedures in spinal fusion restrict mobility in one or multiple levels of the spine so that, over time, new bone will grow between the levels creating a single motionless unit of bone. The bilateral pedicle screw system (BPSS) has long been considered to be the "gold standard" in spinal fusion. However, for patients with osteoporosis, adequate fixation within the bone-screw interface has continuously been difficult to achieve or has come with high risk of …