Compared with bilateral pedicle screw fixation, unilateral pedicle screw fixation significantly reduced total blood loss and operation time for lumbar degenerative disease surgeries, according to a study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research.
Here are three things to know:
1. Researchers studied two randomized controlled trials featuring 808 patients in the meta-analysis.
2. There was a significant difference between unilateral pedicle screw fixation and bilateral pedicle screw fixation in terms of fusion rate, Visual Analog Scale scores at final follow-up, Oswestry Disability Index scores and length of stay.
3. Unilateral pedicle screw fixation was associated with increased cage migration compared to bilateral pedicle screw fixation.