الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Pedicle screws are widely used for instrumentation of the thoracolumbar spine. Besides offering an overall construct rigidity, pedicle screws have several advantages over traditional hook and rod constructs: they allow the stability necessary for spinal fixation and improve deformity correction due to its three-column control over the spinal elements. Moreover, the placement of pedicle screws is independent of facet or laminar integrity and, thus has been extremely useful to a varied range of spinal pathologies, such as traumatic, degenerative, oncologic, as well as deformity correction.
In patients with spinal deformity, pedicle screw fixation has demonstrated greater three-dimensional correction with decreased rates of curve progression and higher fusion rates. This has allowed for improved chest wall correction and improved pulmonary function especially in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, screw placement remains difficult due to variations in anatomical shapes, dimensions and orientation especially in thoracic and cervical spine surgery.