Comparison of cranial facet joint violation rates between open and percutaneous pedicle screw placement using intraoperative 3-D CT (O-arm) computer navigation.

Study Design: Retrospective study comparing cranial facet joint violation rates of open and percutaneous pedicle screws inserted using 3-dimensional image-guidance.

Objective: To determine the rate of cranial facet joint violation in intraoperative computed tomography (CT) image-guided lumbar pedicle screw instrumentation and compare facet joint violation rates between CT image-guided open and percutaneous techniques.

Summary Of Background Data: Facet joint violation by pedicle screws can potentially result in a higher rate of adjacent segment degeneration.