Bone Quality as an Indicator of the Fatigue Life of Pedicle Screw
Systems - Pedicle screws are used to stabilize and provide support for the
recovering spine. Such fixation systems are used in cases of injury and
disease, and can fail unexpectedly. Fresh, instrumented human spines w ill be
tested to failure under a cyclic load; and the resulting observations will be
analyzed in relation to pre-operatively accessible parameters such as bone
mineral content and pedicle morphometry. The final results of the study will
hopefully give future surgeons a reliable means of determining the fatigue life
of spinal fixation systems.
