Pilot Study to Evaluate Feasibility of DensiProbe Spine Assessing Bone Strength in Spinal Surgery — DensiProbe  

Spinal Diseases Clinical Trial

Official title: A Prospective Case Series to Evaluate Handling and Feasibility of DensiProbe Spine Assessing Vertebral Bone Strength in Patients Undergoing Transpedicular Fixation of the Spine - a Pilot Study

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

A new mechanical device was developed in order to provide the surgeon with intraoperative information about the mechanical strength of the cancellous bone within the vertebral body. DensiProbe Spine is intended to be used in patients undergoing transpedicular stabilization of the thoracolumbar spine. The objective of the DensiProbe Spine pilot study is to investigate the handling and feasibility of the DensiProbe Spine measurement device.

Clinical Trial Description

Osteoporotic fragility fractures often occur in the spine. A common surgical technique is the transpedicular fixation using pedicle screws. A major complication of this treatment is a cut-out or back-out of the screw due to insufficient anchorage of the implant in the vertebral body.

A new mechanical device was developed in order to provide the surgeon with intraoperative information about the mechanical strength of the cancellous bone. In cases of low bone quality, the treatment can be adapted to the patient's condition, for example by augmentation of the screw anchorage using bone cement. However, this treatment involves a risk of cement leakage and subsequent pulmonary embolism or nerve damage. Furthermore, cement augmentation is time-consuming. Therefore, there is a need for a diagnostic device that can intraoperatively support the surgeon's decision on the appropriate treatment.

DensiProbe Spine was developed accordingly to the clinically approved DensiProbe Hip, which was designed for the same diagnostic reasons in patients with hip fractures undergoing fracture fixation with the dynamic hip screw (DHS). However, the application of bone strength measurements in the spine is in so far different to the hip as the anatomical dimensions in the spine are much smaller and lower values of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength are expected.

The objective of this pilot study is to investigate the handling and feasibility of the newly developed DensiProbe Spine measurement device. In case of a positive result of the pilot study, a multicenter cohort study will be performed in order to clinically validate the DensiProbe Spine device by assessing the correlation between DensiProbe Spine measurements and the amounts of pedicle screw migration in patients undergoing transpedicular fixation. ;

Study Design

Observational Model: Case-Only, Time Perspective: Prospective

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Spinal Diseases

• NCT number: NCT01126385
• Study type: Observational
• Source: AO Clinical Investigation and Documentation
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: August 2010
• Completion date: August 2012