Sextant Pedicle Screw System

It has been worked out that fusion rates are enhanced through the use of instrumentation. In most cases, the most effective instrumentation involve placement of pedicle screws. These screws are placed from behind, down a column of hard bone called the pedicle, and into the main body of each vertebrae. There are several very ingenious methods of placing pedicle screws into the vertebrae above and below a fusion, holding it rigidly until fusion occurs. Much like a clamp one would use two secure two pieces of wood while gluing them together, the fusion has its best chance of bringing between two vertebrae if they are held firmly by these devices for several months.  The methods of screw and rod insertion have been developed as companions to the minimal access fusion and can allow the placement of these devices through the same small incision made for the Metrx tubes. The Sextant system is such a device.

Pictured below is the Sextant Pedicle Screw system. It has advanced the placement of these devices in several ways. First, they are inserted through ever smaller incisions with all the advantages of decreased blood loss, pain and enhanced recovery seen with minimal access surgery. Second, they can be inserted usually considerably faster and with more precision than is possible through traditional open techniques. The Sextant system allows placement of these devices accurately with the use of fluoroscopy or moving X-ray rather than direct vision.

The confluence of minimal access visualization with Metrx, rhBMP to enhance fusion and avoid painful bone grafts, and Sextant to insert pedicle screws and rods to stabilize the fusion, allows the entire process to take about two to three hours per level and hospital days to be cut to two to three without the need for blood transfusion. All this with better fusion outcomes while preserving the spinal musculature.

                                                    Send mail to scooper@MemphisSpineCenter.com regarding all issues related to this website
                                                    Last modified: 04/04/06