The posterior superior iliac spine and sacral laminar slope: key anatomical landmarks for freehand S2-alar-iliac screw placement

OBJECTIVE The S2-alar-iliac (S2AI) screw is an increasingly popular method for spinopelvic fixation. The technique of freehand S2AI screw placement has been recently described. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate, through a CT imaging study of patients with spinal deformity, that screw trajectories based on the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) and sacral laminar slope result in reliable freehand S2AI trajectories that traverse safely above the sciatic notch. METHODS Fifty consecutive patients (age >= 18 years) who underwent primary spinal deformity surgery were included in the study. Simulated S2AI screw trajectories were analyzed with 3D visualization software. The cephalocaudal coordinate for the starting point was 15 mm cephalad to the PSIS. The mediolateral coordinate for the starting point was in line with the lateral border of the dorsal foramina. The cephalocaudal screw trajectory was perpendicular to the sacral laminar slope. Screw trajectories, lengths, and distance above the sciatic notch were measured. RESULTS The mean sagittal screw angle (cephalocaudal angulation) was 44.0 degrees +/- 8.4 degrees and the mean transverse angle (mediolateral angulation) was 37.3 degrees +/- 4.3 degrees. The mean starting point was 5.9 +/- 5.8 mm distal to the caudal border of the S1 foramen. The mean screw length was 99.9 +/- 18.6 mm. Screw trajectories were on average 8.5 +/- 4.3 mm above the sciatic notch. A total of 97 of 100 screws were placed above the sciatic notch. In patients with transitional lumbosacral anatomy, the starting point on the lumbarized/sacralized side was 3.4 mm higher than on the contralateral unaffected side. CONCLUSIONS The PSIS and sacral laminar slope are two important anatomical landmarks for freehand S2AI screw placement.