The pedicle screws at the C3 level were often too thin, making fixation unsafe, according to the study. Researchers examined 376 pediatric cervical pedicle screws used in 30 children who underwent spine surgery.
The mean pedicle width was lowest at C3 and widest at C7, increasing at all levels in between. There were 60 percent of the C3 pedicle screws with a width less than 4 mm. As the patient grew, the pedicle width also increased at all levels, and more than 75 percent of the adult pedicle dimensions were achieved by age five.
The average pedicle length remained the same at all levels throughout the patients’ growth.
Read the study about pedicle screws.
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