Evaluation of the PediGuard™ for Pedicle Screw Insertion

The aim of the study is to determine the relative effectiveness of the PediGuardTM , a device manufactured by SpineVision, Inc, for placement of a pedicle screw pilot (drill) hole and for reducing pedicle screw breaches during thoracic and lumbar pedicle screw fixation of the spine. Hypothesis #1 The PediGuardTM will be more accurate for pedicle screw placement as compared to other standard manual techniques of similar size of pedicle screw insertion. At least 90% of screws placed with the PediGuardTM will be positioned correctly in the pedicle (defined as less than 2 mm breach by CT scan). In contrast, only 80% of screws using manual placement will be positioned correctly in the pedicle. Hypothesis #2 The PediGuardTM will not be inferior to fluoroscopic techniques for pedicle screw insertion. Both techniques will achieve at least 90% accuracy in the placement of pedicle screws.