1 5 2
O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2 0 1 5
Safer Pedicle Screw Placement for Spinal Surgery
Placing pedicle screws into a patient's spine during minimally invasive spinal surgery often
comes with the risk of breaching the pedicle, which can damage the spinal cord or soft tis-
sue. SpineGuard's Cannulated PediGuard, recently approved by the FDA, promises to make
screw placement safer. The handheld, single-use wireless device is the first of its kind, using
an electrical conductivity sensor in its tip to distinguish between different types of bone and
soft tissue. Audible alarms and LED lights tell a surgeon as he creates the pedicle screw pilot
hole whether he's on track, close to perforating the pedicle or if he's breached it.
PediGuard's makers say it has a pedicle screw placing accuracy of 97%. Plus, they say, the
device means surgeons can limit their use of fluoroscopy during screw placement.
spineguard.com
P R O D U C T N E W S
