O-arm navigation for sacroiliac screw placement in the treatment for posterior pelvic ring injury

Purpose This study aims to investigate the application value of O-arm navigation system in sacroiliac screw placement for the treatment of unstable pelvic ring injury. Methods A total of 40 patients (mean age = 30.75 +/- 14.99 years, 25 males, 15 females) were included. From January 2016 to July 2018, 40 patients with posterior pelvic ring injury treated in our hospital were included. Of them, 19 patients underwent O-arm navigation for screw placement (O-arm group) while the other 21 received C-arm fluoroscopy guidance (C-arm group) for sacroiliac screw placement. Intraoperative outcomes and the outcome of screw placement were compared between groups. The quality of radiological images was assessed by Matta's radiological outcome grade. The outcome of complex pelvic fracture treatment was evaluated by Majeed Functional score. Results All demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Compared with the C-arm groups, the O-arm group had a shorter surgery time (33.19 +/- 3.14 vs. 48.35 +/- 4.38 min, P < 0.001), a higher overall good outcome "excellent + good" rate of screw placement (95.45% vs. 73.91%, P < 0.05), and a significantly higher Majeed Functional score better outcome of complex pelvic fracture treatment at 1 and 3 months postoperation (both P < 0.05). Conclusion Our results demonstrated that O-arm navigation system is feasible and safe for the treatment of posterior pelvic ring injury and can effectively improve the accuracy and safety of sacroiliac screw placement, shorten the operation time, and help rapid postoperative functional recovery.